


Love and Austen

by MiaRoseT



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Blogging, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Love, References to Jane Austen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:59:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 119,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26798467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiaRoseT/pseuds/MiaRoseT
Summary: Sanditon modern AU.Charlotte Heywood grew up in a small village and worked at a local hotel after graduating from university, and she hasn't seen very much of the world. For as long as she can remember, she's been a fan of Jane Austen, often escaping into her works and adaptations, as well as running a blog for fellow Jane Austen fans.Charlotte is forced out of her comfort zone when the hotel she's worked at for one year closes down, and she's offered a job working at a family-run architecture company in London.All of Charlotte's new work colleagues seem nice, with the exception of the company owner, Sidney Parker, who is distant and off-hand with Charlotte right from their first meeting. And yet, there's something about Sidney Parker that intrigues Charlotte, in the same way that he seems to be drawn to her...
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Comments: 520
Kudos: 523





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A Sanditon modern AU.
> 
> I decided that Lady Denham would be Charlotte's great aunt in this fan-fiction, as I thought that their dynamic as aunt and niece would be interesting, and Lady Denham will try to meddle in Charlotte's love life a few times. :)
> 
> I'm happy to add more to this fan-fiction-if readers would like that, of course-but updates may be a little slow at first, as I'm currently writing the final three chapters of another story of mine.

Charlotte Heywood was having the dream again.

She had had this dream so often over the past few years that by now, she was familiar enough with it to _know_ that she was dreaming.

In her dream, she stood in the middle of a beautiful ballroom that looked like it had been taken straight out of the Regency era. Like always, she wore her hair up, and she was dressed in an elegant dress, designed in a style that reminded her of the dresses worn by her favourite Austen heroines.

All of the people surrounding her in the ballroom were also dressed in Regency era costumes, and for some strange reason that Charlotte had not yet worked out the meaning of in her waking life, she appeared to be attending some kind of masked ball in her dream, as all of the men and women at the ball wore Venetian-style masks.

The dream always progressed in the same way; the couples in the ballroom started to dance, following what looked like a well-practiced routine as slow, romantic music played in the background.

The couples danced underneath a large, crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling, with a woman's gloved hand occasionally brushing against the hand of her male partner before the couples moved apart again in time with the music.

Charlotte also moved in time with the music; this dream-version of herself practically glided around the room, feeling like she was walking on air; every step, every move felt effortless.

Every now and again, a few men moved closer to dance with her, smiling and brushing their hands against hers as they danced. But, in her dream, these men and their carefree smiles barely registered on Charlotte's radar. The dancing men seemed like little more than blurred figures who rapidly moved closer and then moved away, allowing someone else to take their place as everyone in the room seemed to move around in circles. In this dream ballroom, Charlotte always knew that there was some other man she was looking for; a different kind of man…

And then, she heard it, the same as always. That deep male voice, calling her name…

" _Charlotte_ ," she heard the male voice say, in a voice that sounded nothing like any of the voices that Charlotte had ever heard in her waking life.

In her dream, some deep part of Charlotte's heart knew that this voice belonged to the man who she truly wanted to be dancing with.

As always, Charlotte started to move in the direction of the male voice, trying to discover who it belonged to. She didn't know why exactly, but she knew that she had to find him.

The voice always sounded so close and yet so far.

The music started to fade, like it was now playing somewhere in the distance. Everyone started to look blurry, out of focus.

Suddenly, the crowd parted. A man stepped into the space left by the parted crowd, right opposite Charlotte; he was the only person in clear focus in the ballroom.

The man was dressed in a black and white costume, and he looked like one of Jane Austen's handsome leading men. His facial expression looked serious, brooding almost. To Charlotte's immense frustration, this mysterious figure was also wearing a mask, preventing her from truly seeing his face.

"Charlotte," he said again as he took a step towards her, his hand held out as though to ask her to dance.

He put his other hand up to his face like he was about to remove his mask, to reveal himself to her…

Charlotte took another step forward, desperate to see his face this time, as though by revealing his identity, this man would provide her with the answers to all of life's great questions about love and romance. But the room was already starting to fade, and Charlotte had never before stayed in her dream world long enough to see who he was…

With a start, Charlotte awoke.

She blinked rapidly as she adjusted to her surroundings. She was sitting on a seat in the middle of a stuffy train carriage, leaning against the window, her face pressed up against the glass.

"Next stop, London Euston," a voice announced over the tannoy in the train carriage. "London Euston, next stop…"

Charlotte let out a sigh of irritation. It must have been the sound of the announcement that had woken her up this time.

Every time she had that dream-and she seemed to be having it more often lately-a part of her always hoped that this would be the time when she finally saw _his_ face. But yet again, something had woken her up just before she could see, as though fate was somehow telling her that it wasn't the right time yet…if there was such a thing as fate.

Now that her grogginess was wearing off a little, Charlotte started to feel a bit embarrassed at the idea that she had fallen asleep against a train carriage window in full view of the other passengers, and she had probably woken up with a loud gasp.

She chanced a quick glance around at the other passengers, but nobody seemed to be paying any attention to her. They all seemed to be engrossed in their phones or various other electronic devices. Charlotte shook her head a little in disapproval: as much as she appreciated the benefits of modern day technology, a part of her longed to have lived during the days when people spent their time reading leather-bound books and communicated by sending letters.

Charlotte sighed again as she replayed the dream in her mind. She didn't know why the mystery man's identity mattered to her so much; it wasn't like she recognised him from any part of her everyday life, and she was starting to wonder if he was merely some kind of fantasy figure her mind had conjured up after years of reading Jane Austen novels over and over again, as well as watching many adaptations of Austen's work.

Not to mention that the brooding man in Charlotte's dreams wasn't exactly her _type_. She didn't have much experience of love or romance or going on dates, but all of the men she had typically been attracted to were completely different from the mysterious, brooding type; Charlotte usually enjoyed flirting with happy, open, outgoing men. She had even written a sort of list of the qualities of her 'ideal man' in her journal during her teenage years (something that still made Charlotte blush and cringe in embarrassment whenever she thought about it), and, although she hadn't read over that list in a while, she was sure that the description she had once written would have nothing in common with the man in her dreams.

And yet, some nagging part of Charlotte's mind couldn't help wondering if the dream really was trying to tell her something-for a while, she really had believed that the universe liked to send little signs and hints to lead someone to the person they were meant to be with. She had also once believed that the universe would move heaven and earth to allow someone to be at the same place at the same time as their true love, so that two people could finally meet; perhaps the recurring dream and the journey she was about to embark upon in a new location were all a part of that…

Charlotte shook her head, trying to dismiss that particular thought. No, she told herself, trying to sound convincing, even in her own mind…true love and fate and destiny only really existed in her favourite classic novels, not in the often mundane reality of everyday life. People moved to new cities for work all the time, and they hardly ever discovered a life-changing romance as a result. She was clearly blurring the lines between the happy endings of Jane Austen's works of fiction and a much harsher reality. She knew that she really shouldn't be obsessing over the dream so much.

It almost felt silly now, to be having this dream so often; after all, the event it depicted seemed to be so far removed from Charlotte's own life. The truth was that Charlotte Heywood did not wear fancy dresses, or attend balls, and she definitely didn't have some handsome, mysterious stranger calling out her name in a tone that suggested that he never wished to say any other woman's name ever again.

Right now, Charlotte was travelling by train from her home village of Willingden to the city of London, where she had recently accepted a fairly low-paid summer job at a small, family-run architecture company after losing her previous job near her village-where she'd worked at a hotel since her university graduation a little over a year ago, before the hotel had been closed down-and her parents had run into too many financial difficulties of their own to really be able to offer her much financial support.

Today, she was dressed simply in faded jeans, flat shoes and a black jumper, with her hair falling in loose curls over her shoulders-hair that probably now looked a little messy due to the train journey, Charlotte thought. She knew that she would have to make herself look a bit more presentable before she started work the day after tomorrow.

Her whole 'look' was a far cry from the dream-version of herself, who always had perfectly styled hair and wore a beautiful dress.

The train was slowing down a little; Charlotte knew that she was almost at her destination.

It had been Charlotte's great aunt who had helped her to secure employment in London; she had used her influence and her connections to put in a good word for Charlotte with some of her business contacts in the city. But still, Charlotte had had to apply for the job, just like everyone else, and she'd also got through an online interview before she'd been offered the job as an office assistant. The company manager, Tom Parker, had interviewed her-he'd seemed a little eccentric, but very kind all the same, and his wife, Mary, who'd also appeared on the screen during the interview, had been very sweet.

Still, the prospect of moving to London on her own and working full-time in the city was more than a little daunting to Charlotte, but with so little work available in and around her village, she hadn't been left with much choice; she'd had to take whatever paid employment she could get.

When Charlotte had voiced some of her initial worries, Charlotte's aunt had told her in not-so-many words to pull herself together; _she_ seemed to think that a summer spent in London would provide Charlotte with plenty of opportunities to socialise and to meet people and to see a bit of life outside of the countryside, as well as providing opportunities for some sort of career progression. In fact, Charlotte's aunt viewed Charlotte's upcoming visit to London as some kind of great adventure.

Charlotte was trying her best to come around to her aunt's way of thinking, but it didn't mean that she wasn't already dreading the idea of spending so much time away from her family, her younger sister in particular. She hadn't really travelled to many places before, and she hoped that she was ready to face a summer in London.

The train was starting to pull into the station now.

Her movements still a little slow, Charlotte gathered up her belongings.

She hadn't been able to bring very much with her; the truth was that Charlotte had reluctantly made the decision to sell most of her belongings in order to help pay for her train ticket and her first month of rent and bills in London. It hadn't upset her too much, to sell items of clothes and pairs of shoes online, but it had really broken her heart to have to sell most of her favourite classic novels in order to raise more money; her Jane Austen novels in particular.

The train came to a halt. With her luggage in hand, Charlotte prepared to disembark.

No matter what happened this summer, she decided, she would treat it as an adventure all the same.

* * *

After braving the London underground with a suitcase, a large bag and a smaller handbag in her hands, and getting lost several times while struggling to read the underground Tube map, and watching in a kind of horrified fascination as crowds of people dashed past her, apparently very busy and with somewhere very important to be, and then having to walk a couple of miles with her luggage after she got out at the wrong stop, Charlotte finally arrived at the flat that she'd be renting for the summer.

The flat was within an old Victorian building that had probably once been a big, fancy house, but had now been converted into smaller flats.

Charlotte heaved all of her luggage up a couple of flights of stairs (the building had no lift, and there was nobody around to help her) before she arrived at her front door and practically stumbled across the threshold, gasping for breath, after she'd finally found her key in her bag and pushed the stiff, heavy door open.

She took a few minutes to walk around the flat-not that it needed much time to see it all. It consisted of a (very small) combined living room and kitchen, a bathroom that just about had enough room for a small shower cubicle, and a bedroom that was behind a door leading from the living room. There was a double bed in the bedroom, which Charlotte supposed was a good thing, as she would have a little extra space when she was sleeping, but it also meant that there wasn't room for much else in the room; there was just about enough space for a small wardrobe and a bedside table.

The flat wasn't very big, but that didn't mean that the rent was very cheap-that hardly ever happened in London. Her aunt might have already helped her to negotiate a discount on the rent, but Charlotte had a bad feeling that she might have to ask her aunt to help with the bills at some point, in spite of the full-time wage that she would soon be earning. She knew that she couldn't go running to her aunt for support all the time though; even though her great aunt had no children of her own, she had several other nieces and nephews-so many that Charlotte's aunt often made sarcastic comments about how she had long since lost track of them all-and a lot of them seemed to take advantage of her aunt's wealth. Charlotte was determined not to do the same.

Still, Charlotte decided to be grateful for what she had; she knew that the flat was a lot nicer, and a little less expensive, than the accommodation that some of her friends had lived in during their student years in London.

Charlotte didn't waste any time in getting started on her unpacking-the flat was very plain, with simple white walls and basic appliances and a few items such as bedding and cheap kitchen utensils that Charlotte had had sent in advance, and now she wanted to do _something_ to make it look a little more colourful.

She hadn't brought much with her; her luggage mainly consisted of smart clothes that she could wear for work, along with a few casual outfits to wear at weekends, but she had managed to fit in a few items that would hopefully help to make the flat feel more like a home.

She had brought a little Jane Austen-themed merchandise with her-teacups and postcards and fridge magnets that showed pictures of various scenes and characters from the books. It always helped her to feel calmer, when she was surrounded by reminders of her favourite stories.

She had also brought a few of her own drawings and paintings of Austen scenes and characters that she had perfected over the years, and she managed to display some of them on the walls in the kitchen and in the bedroom. Recently, Charlotte had also started to share these paintings and drawings on her Instagram page, and they had attracted a lot of likes and comments. People often told her that she had a talent for drawing, and she was thinking about maybe commissioning a few pieces of artwork to make a bit of extra income.

Charlotte hesitated for a moment in putting up a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Mr. Darcy-one of her favourite Austen men-that she'd originally displayed in her room at home and had somehow managed to fold up and squeeze into her suitcase. In the end, she decided that she might as well put it up in the living room, if only for a little while. After all, it wasn't like she knew anyone in London yet, and she hadn't exactly made plans to bring a lot of people back to her flat. Who would ever see it?

Next she displayed a few photos of her family on the fridge door and on the bedside table and inside the wardrobe door. Charlotte smiled as she glanced at the photos of her and her sister at various Austen-themed locations like Chatsworth House and Lyme Park; they had originally tried to visit at least one Austen-themed location every year, but money had been a little tight lately, so it hadn't always been possible. One of Charlotte's dreams was to attend a Jane Austen ball in Bath, complete with full Regency era costumes, but she was yet to make that dream come true.

Taking out her phone, Charlotte sent a quick message to her sister to let her know that she had arrived safely in London. The two sisters often sent long, detailed emails to one another whenever they were apart, jokingly trying to replicate the letters that Jane Austen always exchanged with _her_ sister while adapting their communication to the modern era, but for now, Charlotte decided that she would wait until she had more news before she sent a longer message to her sister.

Charlotte's sister wasn't exactly a big fan of Jane Austen-she went on weekends away with Charlotte more to escape the watchful eyes of their parents than anything else-but she indulged Charlotte in her hobby all the same.

Charlotte started to unpack her large bag. She took out her laptop and tried to find somewhere safe to store it. She knew that a few of her friends thought it was a little old-fashioned that she still used her laptop so much, but Charlotte didn't care. She liked to use her laptop to write various articles for her Jane Austen-themed blog-a blog that she had run for the past couple of years-as well as using it to store various files and documents relating to the blog.

The blog had built up a considerable number of followers over the past year, and Charlotte always enjoyed the discussions her posts generated. She would often write and post online articles related to Jane Austen and her works, and then members would debate the points she raised in the comments section, offering thoughts and insights of their own.

As Charlotte hardly ever came across fans of Jane Austen who she could talk and debate with face-to-face and in person, her blog had become a worthy substitute.

The blog might have had a lot of followers, but Charlotte had long since noticed that the majority of them were women. The only male follower of her blog that she knew of was a man who went by the username _LostinPemberley_. He didn't often leave comments, but when he did, they usually took the form of insightful, essay-like posts that a lot of the other users seemed to enjoy engaging with.

Charlotte had always been a little disappointed by the apparent lack of male interest in Austen's work. So much so that one of her recent blog posts had been entitled: _Why don't men read Austen?_ , to which _LostinPemberley_ had replied with a long comment that basically accused her of 'sweeping generalisations' and 'assumptions'.

Charlotte still cringed a little when she thought about it. But still, a quick check of her phone confirmed that her only male follower was still actively engaged in her blog, as he'd left several positive comments about a few of her other recent posts, so she decided that she shouldn't take his words too personally.

After she'd found somewhere to put her laptop, Charlotte took out a copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ from her bag. She might have sold the majority of her books to help pay her bills, but this was one book that she hadn't been able to part from, even if this particular copy was very old (Charlotte had bought it second-hand years ago) and was starting to fall apart. Charlotte might have read _Pride and Prejudice_ many times over, but today she had started to read it again on the train to London, before she'd fallen asleep, and she was hoping to read the rest of the book over the next week or so, maybe during her lunch breaks or in the evenings after work.

Finally, Charlotte took out her journal from her bag and hid it away in the drawer of her bedside table. She'd debated leaving her journal at home, as some of the things she'd written in there a few years ago would probably look a little juvenile now, but in the end she'd decided she might as well bring it; it was almost like a comfort blanket to her-a reminder of home-and also somewhere where she often wrote useful notes to help her to plan out and research her upcoming blog entries.

After a quick phone call with her great aunt, with Charlotte having to tell her several times throughout the call that yes, she had arrived safely at the flat, and no, she had not met any 'eligible bachelors' on the train to London or on the London underground, Charlotte finally ended the call, made herself a cup of tea and settled on the couch for the evening, choosing to escape into a romantic film after a hectic day. The film might have been a little predictable, but Charlotte never cared about that, as long as she got a happy ending when the final scenes played out.

* * *

Charlotte's first day at work seemed to arrive in the blink of an eye.

She'd tried her best to enjoy her last free day yesterday before she started work, walking around central London and trying to take in the sights without having to spend money; money that she did not yet have.

She'd managed to take several photos of Tower Bridge, London Bridge, The London Eye and even Buckingham Palace, posting all of the pictures on her Instagram page in the evening and looking, to the outside observers of her social media account at least, like she was having an amazing time in the capital city.

But today, she would be spending most of her time in the office.

Charlotte paused for a little while on the opposite side of the road, staring up at the building that would be her new workplace, for the next couple of months at least.

She was surprised to discover that the building was actually quite pretty; it looked like an old Georgian house that had been converted into offices, and it was in the middle of a quiet, residential street. Only a small sign in the house's front window bearing the company name and logo gave any hint as to the fact that this building was a place of work.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Charlotte finally crossed the road and headed towards the building's front door.

As she walked up a couple of stone steps that led up to the front door, Charlotte squared her shoulders and held her head up high and silently reminded herself that she could do this. Up until recently, she had worked in a busy, high-pressured environment at the hotel, and she'd enjoyed her job; she'd been _good_ at it. She'd been skilled at dealing with customers, and she'd liked meeting new people. She'd had the experience of working at the hotel's reception, and in its bar and restaurant, as well as occasionally helping with all the cleaning tasks, laughing and joking with the cleaning staff along the way as they all talked and gossiped about day to day life at the hotel. And, best of all, Charlotte had been allowed to assist with the planning of a lot of the hotel's parties and events, weddings in particular. The weddings had probably been Charlotte's favourite events to be a part of. There was something about seeing two people who were about to start the rest of their lives together that always made her feel happy.

Logically, Charlotte knew that there was no reason why she couldn't turn her talents to this new employment; she might not have a very important role yet in this architecture company, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be helpful, in her own way.

Charlotte quickly glanced down at herself before she knocked on the front door; she had tried her best to dress smartly today, wearing a plain black shirt and trousers, while carrying a smart work bag that was still large enough to hold her copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ -Charlotte was hoping that she would have time to read a chapter or two during her lunch break.

Back home, people often commented that Charlotte looked young for her age, and also that she could come across as being a little naïve at times, but that was not the impression that she wanted to create today; she wanted her new colleagues to take her seriously.

Charlotte had only used the brass knocker to knock on the building's front door a couple of times (she didn't initially notice the modern, electric bell that had been installed on the right-hand side of the door) when the door was thrown open, and Charlotte was greeted by a man who she knew to be Tom Parker, her new boss.

"Charlotte!" he greeted her warmly before he gave her a hearty handshake. "Welcome! Welcome!" he beamed at her.

He was dressed almost casually in a light blue shirt with no tie, with the top buttons of his shirt left unfastened (Charlotte was also fairly certain that a couple of the buttons were fastened incorrectly), and his hair looked a little messy, as though he had run his hands through it several times this morning while he anxiously glanced at the day's paperwork, but Charlotte was relieved to see a more human side to someone who she had at first worried could be a controlling manager. Now, Charlotte got the impression that Tom Parker was quite laid back.

"Hello, Mr. Parker," said Charlotte with a smile.

"Please, call me Tom!" said Tom Parker with another smile. "Everyone else here does. Come in, come in!" he added as he stepped back a little from the door to allow her to pass.

As Charlotte followed Tom towards his office, he talked about the business, and its vision, and a couple of the building projects and tailor-made designs that the company was currently involved with.

He talked enough for the two of them, barely pausing to take a breath, but Charlotte had to admit that she could appreciate his dedication to his work. She'd been interested in architecture for a little while, especially after the hotel she'd worked at had undergone a renovation project last year, and she was hoping that she'd eventually be allowed to be more involved in that side of the business, rather than just being asked to go and get coffees for more senior members of staff, which she'd heard was common when starting a new job.

On the way to Tom Parker's office, they passed another office. The door was open, and Charlotte took the opportunity to peek inside when Tom moved closer to the door.

A young woman was sitting behind a desk, looking very professional dressed in a white blouse and a grey, knee-length skirt, with her hair tied neatly in a long plait. She was also wearing what looked like designer high-heels, and Charlotte felt a little under-dressed in comparison. This woman definitely looked very sophisticated.

"Ah, Georgiana," said Tom as he leaned around the doorframe, "I'll have the expenses forms sent to you by midday…"

Charlotte noticed that the woman sitting behind the desk in the small room, Georgiana, looked a little bored as Tom spoke, and also a bit sceptical that the forms would in fact be arriving by midday.

"Good morning," Charlotte attempted to greet her with a smile when Georgiana looked right at her.

"Really? What's so good about it?" Georgiana asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Anyway," Tom suddenly cut in with an awkward-sounding laugh, "we'd best be getting on…" With that, he ushered Charlotte out of Georgiana's office, leaving Charlotte to wonder whether Georgiana was like that with everyone, or whether it was maybe not as fun to work for the Parkers as Tom seemed to think it was.

As Charlotte trailed behind Tom Parker, she heard him mention something about how he expected that his brother would be 'popping in for a visit' this morning, talking excitedly as though this was something that everyone in the building should be looking forward to, but Charlotte had no idea why a visit from Tom's brother would have any effect on _her_.

* * *

Tom's wife, Mary Parker, was waiting to greet Charlotte when Tom showed her into the main office. She looked very elegant, with her fair hair tied up in a bun, and she was wearing a blue blouse coupled with a three-quarter length skirt.

"Charlotte," she greeted her with a warm smile, before she insisted that Charlotte call her by her first name.

As Tom went on about a few of his recent emails for a few minutes, Charlotte had a little time to glance around Tom and Mary's office. She noticed that Tom and Mary had displayed pictures of their three young children all around the office, including several framed photos that took pride of place on the mahogany desk. Charlotte couldn't help smiling as she looked at the photos; the children were adorable, and the Parkers looked like such a happy family. Charlotte had always enjoyed babysitting many of the younger children who lived in her village, and she thought about how she would miss them all, now that she was here in London.

There were also several paintings displayed on the walls, and Charlotte's attention was drawn to one painting in particular. It was a painting of a beautiful beach with white sand and a blue ocean, with a few old-fashioned houses painted onto the wild-looking hills that overlooked the ocean. Charlotte had always loved the seaside, and she'd spent many a happy day swimming in the sea and collecting shells from the shore throughout her childhood and teenage years.

For a moment, she could imagine that she was on that very beach in the painting, breathing in the sea air, walking and running along the sand, out in the open…

"The tour of the building, dear," Charlotte suddenly heard Mary mutter to her husband in a tone of voice that sounded like she was reminding him of something important that he'd forgotten to do.

Her words served to pull Charlotte out of her daydream about the seaside.

"Ah, yes, yes, of course," said Tom, looking a little stressed as he ushered Charlotte back out of the room to show her the rest of the building.

* * *

First, Tom Parker showed Charlotte the block of lockers just outside the staff room that could be used by employees to store their belongings, and then he showed Charlotte the inside of the staff room, explaining that Charlotte could go there for her breaks and to eat lunch. The staff room was about the size of a typical living room, with chairs lined up against the four walls in a way that reminded Charlotte of a doctor's waiting room, along with a few tables and chairs in the middle of the room. There was a fridge and a sink in the corner of the room, along with a small kettle and a microwave-both looked like they'd seen better days. Someone had also attempted to fill up a small basket with tea bags and biscuits and a jar of instant coffee.

There wasn't much else to see in the building; there were a few more offices on the ground floor and the upper floor, along with a storage room.

Tom Parker had been just about to show Charlotte to her office when he suddenly remembered that he'd left the paperwork that Charlotte was supposed to complete as a new employee in _his_ office, and so he led Charlotte back downstairs towards his office so he could go and fetch it.

* * *

When Tom opened the office door, Charlotte noticed that there was now somebody else in the room.

A man was standing towards the back of the office, gazing at the painting of the seaside that Charlotte had previously been staring at in fascination. He also wore what seemed like a fascinated look on his face as he stared at the painting. His mind seemed to be somewhere else, almost as though he were recalling an event from the past, or imagining himself to be on that same beach, rather than standing at the back of a small office in London.

Charlotte paused in the doorway, staring. She could see that this man was very handsome, with dark hair and expressive-looking eyes. He was tall, and he was dressed in what Charlotte could tell was a very expensive business suit that seemed to have been tailor-made for him. Charlotte highly doubted that this man had ever struggled to make ends meet; in fact, even though he did not seem to be trying to make it look too obvious, and although he still looked quite young (maybe only a few years older than Charlotte) something about this man's body language and the clothes he was wearing suggested that he was very successful in all aspects of his life.

And yet, there was something a little guarded, a little too serious, a little unfriendly even, in the man's facial expression.

"Sidney!" Tom called out with a grin as he took quick strides into the room.

The man-Sidney-looked almost irritated for a moment at being snapped out of his reverie, but still he greeted Tom Parker with a friendly-looking pat on the shoulder. "Tom," he said in a deep voice, with a hint of affection in his one-word greeting.

Something about that voice almost seemed familiar to Charlotte, but she couldn't quite place where she'd heard it before, or what it was reminding her of.

Sidney might have looked happy to see Tom Parker, but when he caught Charlotte's eye, a look of what could only be described as irritation seemed to cross his face, almost as though Charlotte alone were responsible for the interruption.

For some reason, the room started to feel warmer than it had felt when Charlotte first arrived. She wondered if somebody had turned the heating up.

"Charlotte, this is my brother, Sidney Parker," said Tom, smiling as though delighted that Sidney had shown up today.

Sidney Parker inclined his head a little in acknowledgement, but he already looked bored.

"Sidney's the founder and CEO of this architecture company, along with several of our sister branches," Tom Parker explained to Charlotte. "So, I suppose that would make him your boss's boss…" Tom chuckled good-naturedly.

Nobody else in the room laughed.

"New intern?" Sidney asked his brother as he nodded in Charlotte's direction, the look of indifference on his face suggesting that he didn't really care either way.

Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little offended. There was nothing wrong with being an intern, of course, but something about the way that this man had just said it certainly made it sound like an insult.

"No, Sidney, this is Charlotte Heywood, our new office assistant," said Mary Parker as she stepped back into the room carrying a cup of coffee and a pile of documents, "you remember the interviews Tom and I carried out a few weeks ago?" she raised an eyebrow pointedly at her brother-in-law, as though silently asking him not to create any awkward moments.

"Ah…yes," said Sidney, his tone of voice suggesting that although he was far too busy and important to remember such a trivial thing as office interviews, he was prepared to go along with what Mary was saying all the same. He turned to look at Charlotte again: "No offence, Miss…."

He paused and frowned, and Charlotte narrowed her eyes at him, unable to believe that he'd forgotten her surname in the space of a few seconds.

"Heywood," Charlotte supplied for him, speaking slowly as she frowned at him. She wondered if he'd forgotten her surname on purpose, to highlight just how unimportant she was, in the grand scheme of his business empire.

"No offence, Miss Heywood," Sidney amended, as though nothing had happened, "it's just that you look…young."

Charlotte had a strange feeling that Sidney had been about to say something else, but had settled on the word 'young' instead. Charlotte had never really minded before, when her aunt's friends made comments about how young she looked, but now, coming from Sidney Parker, the word definitely didn't sound like a compliment.

"Perhaps I should be getting on with some work in my new office," Charlotte said quickly in a falsely upbeat tone, not wanting to be around Sidney Parker for much longer, especially if he was going to throw more cleverly disguised insults at her.

She couldn't help noticing that Sidney Parker raised his eyebrows a little at Charlotte's comment. Perhaps he thought that she was crossing a line by effectively dismissing herself from the room in the middle of a conversation between the company's managers, or perhaps he was not used to women being so eager to _not_ be around him, but either way, he didn't say anything else, and Charlotte didn't really care what he thought about her excuse to leave the room.

"Yes, yes of course," said Tom Parker, looking a little flustered. "I'll show you to your office."

Charlotte made a point of not looking back over her shoulder as Tom led her out of the room.

* * *

Charlotte's office on the first floor was quite small-she suspected that it had once been a storage room-and it was a little untidy, with paperwork and folders stacked up in uneven piles on every surface of the room and even on the floor, but Charlotte didn't mind. She'd never had an office of her own before, especially not one with a fancy-looking computer and printer and phone on the desk, and she knew that she would enjoy the novelty of it.

Her first morning of work wasn't exactly glamorous-Charlotte was given a lot of filing and sorting of documents to do, which she suspected was Tom and Mary's way of getting the office organised and cleared out without asking Charlotte directly to clean it, but Charlotte was okay with her task. It was almost enjoyable, to file away paperwork and throw away what was no longer needed, gradually seeing the office become tidier, and freeing up work space in the process.

Every now and again, an image of Sidney Parker would appear in Charlotte's mind, although she had no idea why he taking up so much space in her thoughts, especially as she had just met him and she'd barely spent five minutes in his company; not to mention that he seemed to be very rude and arrogant.

She shook her head when she found herself thinking about him for what had to be the tenth time that morning, telling herself that she was just bored with all the filing, and that she would have to find more challenging tasks to complete soon.

* * *

Charlotte spent most of her first ten-minute break hard at work, determined to complete her first task, and only heading quickly to the staff room to grab a hot drink before bringing it back to her office.

A few other employees came into the office to introduce themselves throughout the course of the morning, but Charlotte was mostly left alone.

She only remembered that she had to go for lunch when Mary knocked on the office door around noon and gently reminded her that she needed to take a break.

Charlotte smiled at Mary as she headed downstairs in the direction of the staff room; she'd never really had a manager who cared about her wellbeing before.

* * *

The staff room was empty when Charlotte arrived. She took out the lunch that she'd stored in the fridge when Tom Parker first showed her around the staff room and sat down hesitantly at one of the small tables in the middle of the room. She wondered if there was some kind of office hierarchy that dictated where everybody sat at lunch-perhaps she would be asked to sit somewhere else when the other employees arrived.

After about ten minutes, the staff room door burst open.

Georgiana, the young woman who Charlotte had met at the start of the day, stormed into the room, looking irritated.

Charlotte tensed a little when Georgiana started to head towards her. She definitely looked angry about something.

"The accounts are a mess, as usual," Georgiana sighed as she practically threw herself into a seat directly opposite Charlotte. "And of course, we're over-budget on company expenses for yet another month…" She rolled her eyes at Charlotte and gave her a long-suffering sigh, as though the two of them knew each other well and she was confiding in an old friend. Charlotte suspected that Georgiana was just grateful to have somebody new to rant to. "And don't even get me started on Tom's latest plans to organise some kind of team-bonding party in Bath that'll no doubt lead to even more travel expense claims. The company can't afford it! But will any of them listen? Of course not!"

"I'm sorry," said Charlotte hesitantly, not really sure what else she was supposed to say, given that she didn't really have a clue what Georgiana was talking about. She decided that it would be best not to mention just now that she would love to go on a trip to Bath.

After taking a few deep breaths, Georgiana visibly seemed to calm down. Perhaps she had just needed to get all her stress from a difficult morning at work off her chest. Her expression was apologetic now as she looked across the table at Charlotte. "Georgiana Lambe," she suddenly introduced herself as she held out her hand for Charlotte to shake. Her handshake was firm, confident.

"Charlotte Heywood," Charlotte replied as she shook Georgiana's hand in return. Charlotte had a strange feeling that the two of them had just become friends.

"So, Charlotte Heywood," said Georgiana with a small smile (Charlotte was glad that Georgiana did not forget Charlotte's name immediately after being introduced, unlike _some_ people that Charlotte would not mention), "how are you finding working for the Parkers, so far?"

Charlotte talked about her first morning working for the company, trying to stay positive, even when Georgiana gave her doubtful looks every time Charlotte talked about how happy she was to be there.

The two of them ended up eating lunch together, with Georgiana also sharing a few stories about her time working for the architecture company.

They were only interrupted when Georgiana's phone started to ring.

"I'm sorry, I really should get this," said Georgiana as she gestured to her phone, which was currently on the table.

"That's okay," said Charlotte as Georgiana picked up her phone.

Charlotte had assumed that the call was work-related, but the smile that Georgiana gave as she accepted the call told Charlotte that she was wrong in that assumption.

"Otis," said Georgiana, her tone of voice gentle, her expression soft.

Sensing that this was some kind of personal call, Charlotte got up out of her seat and started to head out of the staffroom, in the direction of her locker in the hallway, where she'd left her copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ earlier in the morning. She still had half an hour of her lunch hour left, and she was sure that she could read a chapter or two before she had to head back to work.

Charlotte's locker however seemed to have other plans. Although Charlotte re-entered the number combination that she'd chosen for her locker at the start of the day, the locker door just wouldn't budge. Charlotte pulled on the handle a few times, trying to work out what she was doing wrong.

"They can be a bit stiff at first," Charlotte heard a male voice announce from just next to her, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Charlotte looked to her right to see a young man leaning against the wall nearest to the employee lockers.

He smiled at Charlotte for a moment before he moved towards her locker, a playful twinkle in his eyes. He then took hold of the handle and firmly lifted it up before he eased it back down again. His actions seemed to do the trick-the locker door opened for him.

"Thank you," Charlotte told him gratefully. "Er…"

"James Stringer," the man introduced himself with another smile as he held out his hand to Charlotte. "I started working here in January, mainly in design…"

"Charlotte Heywood," said Charlotte, already feeling as though she had never before said her own name so many times in one day. "I started working here this morning."

James Stringer's handshake was a lot gentler than Georgiana's had been; Charlotte almost felt like he was holding her hand, rather than shaking it.

The moment he let go, Charlotte reached into her locker to retrieve her book.

"Ah, _Pride and Prejudice_ ," said James Stringer with a grin. "I take it you're a fan of Jane Austen, Charlotte?"

"Oh, yes," said Charlotte with a smile. She was just about to tell him how much of a fan she was when-

"Ah, Jane Austen," she heard a deep male voice announce from a few feet away. The tone of voice sounded a lot less enthusiastic than James Stringer's had just been.

Charlotte looked further down the corridor to see none other than Sidney Parker, who was leaning against the doorway to Tom and Mary Parker's office and looking as bad-tempered as he'd looked before. It seemed he had just emerged from his meeting with Tom.

"Adored the world over by 'fans' who have no knowledge of her books or any real idea of the social commentary her work has to offer," Sidney continued. "But still, they call themselves fans due to their liking for seeing handsome man emerge from lakes in see-through shirts…"

James Stringer shook his head, looking torn between exasperation and amusement, as though he had to listen to these sorts of sarcastic comments all the time at work and was no longer very interested in them, but Charlotte flinched at Sidney Parker's words. She could not let that comment go…

"Is that the sort of Jane Austen fan you think _I_ am?" she asked Sidney Parker with a raised eyebrow, daring him to say it to her directly.

"What?" said Sidney in a sharp tone of voice as he glanced in Charlotte's direction again. "No," he continued with a frown, "I wasn't trying to imply that-"

"Just ignore Sidney," Charlotte heard Georgiana Lambe tell her as she stepped out into the hallway from the staff room, apparently having finished her phone conversation and effectively cutting off this particular conversation. "I know I do…" she added with an irritated-looking glance in Sidney's direction.

With that, she turned and headed in the direction of her office without giving anyone a backward glance.

With a roll of his eyes, Sidney Parker also turned on his heel and stormed away in the direction of the building's front door. Perhaps he had realised that he had no chance of winning this quarrel.

When Sidney was gone, Charlotte shook her head in irritation as she looked at James Stringer again.

"There's still nearly half an hour left of lunch," said James Stringer with a sympathetic smile, and Charlotte sensed that he was trying to change the subject. "There's a Starbucks just down the road from here-we all go all the time. We can go and get a coffee there, if you'd like?"

James Stringer looked so hopeful, but Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little worried: "Won't we get in trouble, if we get back late?" she asked him. She really didn't want to make a bad impression on her first day.

"Tom Parker won't notice if we're back late," said James with a laugh, although Charlotte was also sure that she detected a hint of bitterness in his voice. "He doesn't pay much attention to that kind of thing…"

Already, Charlotte had the impression that Tom Parker wasn't very strict with his employees, but still, she didn't want to push the boundaries so soon.

"We'll just get takeout, if you prefer," said James, apparently noticing the look of apprehension on Charlotte's face. "And I'll make sure you get back on time…"

"Really?" said Charlotte, still a little dubious.

"You have my word," said James with another playful grin.

* * *

The local Starbucks really wasn't far. It took less than ten minutes for Charlotte and James to get there, with James talking enthusiastically the whole way about a few of his latest building designs.

Charlotte could tell that he was passionate about his work, and she could also tell that he was ambitious; he wanted to progress in his career, and to make more money. This idea of Charlotte's about James Stringer was reinforced when he stopped for a moment to gaze admiringly at an expensive-looking black sports car that was parked just outside the Starbucks.

As Charlotte stepped inside the coffee shop, she couldn't help thinking that a few of her university friends who had already travelled the world, and frequently spent weekends in various European cities, would perhaps not be impressed by the fact that it seemed likely she was going to spend a significant amount of her time in London alternating between her tiny flat, her office building and a Starbucks; they would probably think that she was not really making the most of her time in a city that had so much to offer. But it wasn't as though Charlotte could afford to go to fancy tearooms or sophisticated restaurants for lunch.

The Starbucks looked just like any other, with its coffee machine and its counter and a few customers standing in line, waiting to order. To the left of the counter were a few tables, although, when Charlotte entered the coffee shop with James Stringer, only one of the tables was occupied.

Three people who only looked a few years older than Charlotte sat at the table-a man and two women. The man was quite tall, and he had wavy blond hair. His accent and his clothes suggested that he was from money; Charlotte rolled her eyes when she noticed that he was actually wearing a tweed jacket.

The blond man glanced around the coffee shop with a slightly disapproving look on his face. "How quaint," Charlotte suddenly heard him mutter to the blonde-haired woman sitting opposite him, with a smirk that quickly turned into a sneer. His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

The blonde woman smirked back at him. She was stylishly dressed in an expensive-looking blue dress, but, to Charlotte at least, she didn't look like she'd just stepped out of a country manor, the way that the blond man did; her money was earned, rather than inherited.

As the sarcastic comments about the coffee shop continued, Charlotte got the impression that these people were very rich residents of London who occasionally liked to visit places where 'poorer people' spent their time as part of some sort of novelty day out, probably so that they could feel smug in returning to their mansions and their exclusive clubs at the end of the day.

The one saving grace about the trio was that the red-haired woman, who was also sitting at the table, looked completely bored by the conversation. She sat a little apart from the blond man and woman, staring into the distance, as though lost in her own thoughts. Her hair was tied up neatly in a bun, and she was dressed all in black, which, along with the serious expression on her face, gave Charlotte the impression that she was mourning some sort of loss.

Charlotte shook her head, trying to snap herself out of her imaginings about the lives of these people, and then she followed James Stringer to join the line of customers.

The moment they got in line, Charlotte heard a male voice muttering something about 'corporations' and 'generic coffee shops' to the man standing next to him, his tone of voice suggesting that he was complaining. Charlotte shook her head all over again as she realised that she'd ended up standing directly behind Sidney Parker in the line. He must have headed to the coffee shop after he'd stormed out of the architecture company building a few minutes ago.

Charlotte got distracted when James started to ask her more questions about the book that she'd been taking out of her locker, and she started to explain to him about all the Austen books that she'd had to sell before she came to London, and how she hadn't been able to part with _Pride and Prejudice_ , even though her copy was now very old and the pages were starting to fall out, and how she was hoping to buy more copies of Jane Austen's books as soon as she started earning a little more money in London.

James nodded along as Charlotte spoke, but Charlotte could tell that he wasn't really a fan of Jane Austen himself; still, he didn't mock her for her interest in the books, at least.

Sidney Parker seemed to visibly tense at the sound of Charlotte's voice, but he didn't turn around to look at her.

"Crowe," Charlotte heard Sidney mutter instead to the man standing next to him, who Charlotte assumed to be a friend of his, "we have the means to get into some of the most interesting bars and restaurants in London, and _this_ is the place where you want to buy your coffee?"

Charlotte couldn't help rolling her eyes at Sidney's words. There was something so… _arrogant_ about what he was saying-like he thought that ordering coffee from Starbucks was beneath him.

When the blond-haired man sitting at the table waved at Sidney, and Sidney waved back at him, greeting him like an old friend, Charlotte's suspicions about Sidney's belief that this sort of place was beneath him seemed to be confirmed.

The line moved forward a little.

"Babbers!" Charlotte heard Crowe call out to the man who was working behind the counter.

"Babington," Sidney greeted him with a curt nod of his head as he stepped forward, his tone of voice more formal than Crowe's had just been.

Still, Charlotte could tell by the way that the three men talked to one another that they were good friends.

As happy as Babington looked to see his friends, Charlotte noticed that he kept glancing at the red-haired woman who was sitting at the table with the blond man and woman. He looked at her as though as though he couldn't look away, even though the woman was still staring into the distance and seemed to be oblivious to the way that Babington was looking at her with such admiration.

Charlotte couldn't help wondering what it would feel like, to have a man look at _her_ like that from across a room. Would she also be oblivious to the fact that she was being looked at in that way?

"Oh no, not this again," Crowe said very loudly as he followed Babington's gaze, not even trying to hide his irritation as he sighed and rolled his eyes.

Babington looked a little embarrassed for a moment at Crowe's words, but then he shrugged and smiled and said, " _Yes_! This again!", his tone of voice full of determination, before he went back to serving his friends.

It was only when Sidney Parker had a takeout cup in his hands that he finally turned around to look in Charlotte's direction.

He glanced between James and Charlotte for a moment, with a look of what could only be described as irritation on his face, before the look of indifference reappeared.

"Mr. Stringer, Miss Heywood," he acknowledged the two of them with a nod.

"Mr. Parker," said James with a nod of his own, not looking particularly bothered either way by the formal greeting.

Charlotte wondered if Sidney Parker addressed all of Tom's employees so formally, in order to keep a professional distance between them and himself.

"Mr. Parker," said Charlotte, in the same way that James had just said it. She decided that it might be best to address Sidney Parker like this from now on, if that's what all the other employees did.

Looking like he couldn't wait to get out of the coffee shop, Sidney Parker nodded his head in Charlotte and James's direction one more time, before he walked past the two of them and headed out the door.

Charlotte glanced through the coffee shop's large front window to see Sidney and his friend Crowe getting into the expensive sports car that was parked outside, with Sidney behind the wheel. Charlotte sighed in exasperation. Of course that car would belong to Sidney Parker.

Babington was friendly and polite to Charlotte and James when it was their turn to place their drinks order. It seemed he hadn't been put off by his friend Sidney's rather cold treatment of the two of them.

James laughed a little at Charlotte's insistence on ordering tea instead of coffee, but he didn't mock her for it, and then the two of them carried on making polite conversation with Babington about British weather and London traffic for a couple more minutes.

As the two of them were paying for their drinks, the trio at the table got up to leave.

The blond man walked right past Charlotte on his way out, slowing down as he passed to blatantly look her up and down with a smirk on his face.

Charlotte had to fight off a sudden urge to take a step back from him, settling on glaring at the man as he walked away instead. She felt very uncomfortable by this man's attention.

All in all, Charlotte was glad to leave the coffee shop with James Stringer and head back to work.

* * *

After the initial exhaustion of her first couple of days at work had started to wear off, Charlotte found that she adapted to her first week of work quite quickly. By Wednesday, she was answering enquiry emails and responding to phone calls, along with completing a lot more filing and photocopying, and by Thursday morning, her new office was immaculately clean, and she had finally completed all of her new employee paperwork, which made her feel more like a part of the team.

On Thursday afternoon, Charlotte took her lunch hour a little later than the other employees, as she'd been determined to get all her paperwork finished before she took a break.

She sat by herself at a table in the staff room, reading a chapter of _Pride and Prejudice_ as she ate a salad.

Not long after she finished eating, she was distracted by the sight of a sudden shadow that appeared over the page of her book.

Frowning at the interruption, Charlotte looked up to see none other than Sidney Parker standing over her, looking at her like she was a puzzle that he was trying to work out.

Charlotte tried not to look too surprised to see him. She hadn't known that he was in the building today, and she hadn't even heard him walk into the staff room.

"What _is_ your fascination with that book?" he asked her, without any attempt at a greeting or small talk or polite conversation first.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at him. She couldn't work out if he was judging her for her obsession, or whether he was genuinely interested to know why she liked _Pride and Prejudice_ so much.

She debated just telling him to go away, but then she decided that might be pushing it a bit; he was still in charge of the company after all-her boss's boss, as Tom had said-and Charlotte couldn't afford to lose her job after less than a week. On the other hand, she wasn't really in the mood to be very friendly to him right now, not after he'd been so rude to her on her first day.

"If you must know," Charlotte told him with a sigh, "I enjoy reading about the process of two people who at first appear to be unsuited for one another gradually coming to realise that they might be compatible after all. I like to see characters working on their own flaws and helping each other to become better people in the process. I like to read about people falling in love, even though love like that might not exist in real life. Sometimes, I even enjoy being misled about certain characters and their intentions, only to find out that as a reader, I have been mistaken in some of my assumptions all along; it adds to the element of surprise and intrigue. And, of course, I've always loved a happy ending…"

Charlotte tried not to blush as she talked about her love of a happy ending-no doubt Sidney Parker would think that an idea like that was very immature and naïve, but Charlotte couldn't help that she was drawn to stories where she knew a happy ending would be guaranteed; it was just the way she was.

Sidney looked a little surprised by what Charlotte was saying for a moment, for some reason, then he opened his mouth as though to say something in response, but, fearing that he was about to mock her, and feeling annoyed at herself for sharing so much with Sidney about the reasons why she loved one of her favourite stories, Charlotte got there first: "Now, if you don't mind," she told him, "I'm trying to concentrate, and you're putting me off."

"Fair enough," Sidney replied. A tug at the corner of his lips almost suggested to Charlotte that he was fighting off a smile, if he was even capable of smiling.

With that, he nodded at Charlotte before he quickly exited the room, leaving Charlotte to wonder what all that had been about.

* * *

By the time the Friday afternoon of her first week at work arrived, Charlotte was definitely looking forward to a couple of days off.

She was more than ready to head home and read a book or watch a film, maybe order takeout food, but her colleagues seemed to have other ideas. Georgiana was going out on a date; she'd already headed to Charlotte's office several times throughout the day to tell her all the details about where she was going and what she was planning on wearing. Tom Parker didn't even seem to notice that Charlotte and Georgiana had spent most of the day gossiping about Georgiana's date. Georgiana offered to try to set Charlotte up with one her friends, if she wanted to double date with her this evening, but Charlotte had refused-the idea of the London dating scene still overwhelmed her a little, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it yet.

James Stringer and a few of his friends from work were planning to go for Friday night drinks at a few of the pubs in central London. He'd hinted several times throughout the day that Charlotte would be welcome to go with them, but Charlotte had politely declined, making her excuses about some work she had to do in her flat. She was flattered that he'd tried to include her in his plans when she was still the 'new girl' at the office, and she probably would go with James and his friends next time, but she really was feeling a little tired after travelling to London and moving into a new flat and starting a new job all within one week, and she needed a little time to recharge before she started to get involved with her fellow employees' social lives.

When Charlotte said her goodbyes and her 'see you Mondays!' to everyone who was still at the office and she headed out the door at five o'clock however, she didn't quite feel ready to face the busy London Tube just yet, or ready to head straight back to her flat.

She paused on the pavement next to the company building for a few moments, before she started to head in the direction of the Starbucks, deciding along the way that she would go and get a hot drink there and stay for half an hour or so, read a few chapters of her book, wind down a little after a busy week…

When Charlotte arrived, the coffee shop looked busier than it had looked four days ago, as several employees from the offices nearby seemed to have had the same idea as her about grabbing a coffee on Friday after work.

Charlotte joined the line of people who were waiting to order, resigning herself to the fact that she might have to wait for a little while to be served.

She realised that she was standing directly behind the woman with red hair who had been sitting at the same table as the man and woman with blonde hair the other day. Today, the woman was dressed more casually in jeans and a jumper, and her hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders. There was also something more relaxed about her facial expression today, Charlotte noticed; she wondered if being away from the other two people in her 'friendship group' was the main reason why she now looked a bit more relaxed.

The man working behind the counter-'Babington' as Charlotte knew him as, looked more than a little flustered when the time came to make a drink for the red-haired woman; he spilled milk several times and knocked over an empty metal jug, and then he seemed to fumble around with the coffee taps.

The woman didn't seem to be helping matters; she was making a big show of folding her arms and tapping her high-heeled boots on the floor as she waited. "Honestly, Babington," she sighed after a few moments, "this is the longest I've _ever_ had to wait for a cup of coffee…"

"Some things are worth waiting for, Esther," Babington shot back with a playful grin on his face, looking amused, in spite of his obvious nerves.

"We'll see," the woman-Esther-retorted, looking unmoved by Babington's charms.

However, Charlotte noticed that Esther smiled into her takeout coffee cup on her way out the door, while Babington watched her go with an awed-looking expression on his face.

Charlotte felt a little confused-she wasn't sure that she'd ever understand the subtle art of flirtation; sometimes it felt like a secret code that she would never be able to decipher.

Finally, Charlotte reached the front of the line of customers. She ordered an Earl Grey tea and then she went and sat at a small table near the coffee shop window, where she alternated between reading _Pride and Prejudice_ and taking sips of her tea.

She was so engrossed in her book that she was barely even aware of finishing her cup of tea. She was only snapped out of Elizabeth and Darcy's world when a fresh cup of Earl Grey tea was suddenly placed on the table in front of her.

Frowning in confusion, Charlotte looked up to see Babington standing by her table, having just placed the new cup there.

For some reason, he wore a knowing smile on his face.

"Oh, no," Charlotte tried to explain before he could walk away. Her tone of voice sounded apologetic, even though she wasn't sure what she was apologising for. After all, it wasn't her fault that Babington had got an order wrong. "There must be a mistake, I didn't order another-"

"From the gentleman in the corner," Babington interrupted her with another grin. He said the words in a formal English accent that wouldn't have been out of place in a Jane Austen adaptation, and Charlotte wondered if he was putting on the accent as part of some kind of joke.

Babington nodded his head in the direction of the other side of the coffee shop, near the counter.

Slowly, Charlotte looked up and followed his gaze. For a moment, she dreaded seeing the rich, blond-haired man who she'd already encountered at the coffee shop the other day smirking back at her, but, to Charlotte's immense shock and surprise, Sidney Parker was sitting at the table in the corner, looking at Charlotte with an unreadable expression on his face.

Charlotte noticed that he was dressed more casually today, wearing a dark grey jumper. Something about getting to see Sidney Parker without his formal work clothes on intrigued Charlotte, even though she wasn't sure why. She couldn't help thinking that he still looked like some kind of male model, even in his casual clothes, but then she quickly tried to dismiss that thought.

There was something else about him that held Charlotte's fascination-Sidney Parker was reading what looked like an old, leather-bound book with an intricate design on the front cover. Charlotte couldn't make out the title of the book from across the room, but she just knew that he had to be reading some sort of classic novel.

When Sidney realised that Charlotte was looking at him, he picked up his cup of coffee and raised it to her as though making some kind of toast, before he nodded quickly at Charlotte in apparent confirmation of what Babington had just said, and then he went back to reading his book. His expression might have been serious, but his movements and his body language looked a little awkward, somehow.

Charlotte didn't know what to make of it all. She decided that this had definitely been one of the strangest weeks of her life.

With another frown, she hesitantly picked up her cup of tea and took a sip, feeling more confused than ever as to why Sidney Parker had just sent a drink over to her table.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Alison,_

_Everything is going okay here in London. The flat is quite nice, even though I'm not sure it'll match up to our aunt's high standards…but it's in a good location, at least. You should come and visit soon! We could go and see all of London's well-known monuments and landmarks together, just like you've always wanted to do._

_My first week and a half at my new job has gone well, I think. My tasks at work aren't always very challenging, but I still find the job interesting, all the same. It's nice to have the opportunity to interact with customers over the phone and in person sometimes-it reminds me a little of working at the hotel._

_Tom and Mary Parker, my managers, have been very welcoming. Tom can be a little forgetful sometimes, but Mary, his wife, is usually around to gently remind him of what needs to be done._

_Yesterday, Mary showed me the software that the designers use to help create a visual representation of their ideas; it was fascinating to see, even though you might disagree and tell me instead that it all sounds very boring. Either way, I'm hoping that Tom and Mary will allow me to take on more responsibilities within the company by the end of the summer._

_Almost everyone at the company seems nice (and yes, that 'almost' is there for deliberate emphasis). Georgiana Lambe and James Stringer-two of my new colleagues-already treat me like I'm their friend…Or maybe they've just decided to take me under their wing, in the same way that pupils would protect a nervous new student at school._

_James always seems so happy and so positive, but sometimes he gets this sad look in his eyes, or I hear a hint of bitterness in his voice, and I wonder if he uses his positive attitude to mask some kind of pain-maybe something in his personal life._

_Georgiana, on the other hand, can be quite negative about the company, and she often rolls her eyes and makes sarcastic comments, especially when Tom organises games and various other team-building activities at the start of every staff meeting…I don't think Georgiana's interested in playing happy families at work in the way that Tom is. However, every now and again, she does these nice things for her colleagues, like bringing in chocolates or home-made cakes and leaving them in the staff room so people can help themselves, or going out and buying hot drinks for everyone at times when she's not busy. Her actions make me wonder if she perhaps has a softer side that she tries to keep secret._

_Tom's brother, Sidney Parker, is the CEO of the company. He occasionally visits the building to meet with Tom and Mary, usually looking very serious, or like he's irritated about something. He's quite a confusing person to work out, Alison-I wouldn't even know where to start in trying to explain him to you._

_Tom also has two other siblings, Arthur and Diana. I've only met them once, so far; they showed up at the building this Tuesday, complaining about all the recent warm weather we've been having in the city (personally, I like seeing a bit of sunshine in London, but I decided it would be better not to say that out loud when they were there). Diana also insisted several times during the visit that more stringent health and safety measures had to be introduced into the workplace, before Arthur Parker tripped on the stairs on his way to the store room, which only seemed to drive home his sister's point._

_Georgiana didn't seem impressed when I told her over lunch about Tom's new plans for more health and safety measures to be brought into the building; she seems to think that the company can't afford it. I really hope that the business isn't in trouble._

_Alison, the strangest thing happened when I arrived at work this Monday morning. I've been wanting to talk to somebody about it for the past couple of days, but I'm worried about mentioning it to anyone at work, it case it's meant to be some big secret, or a surprise. I arrived at work, and I opened my locker, and, you'll never believe it, there was a copy of one of Jane Austen's books,_ Sense and Sensibility _inside! It isn't just a standard paperback edition, either; it's a hardback, leather-bound edition…it must have been quite expensive._

_It's a beautiful edition of the book, of course, but why would anyone leave gifts in my locker? I don't really know anybody that well in London yet. And, more importantly, how did they even get it into my locker in the first place? I was certain that I was only one who knew my locker combination number…Do you think someone in the building saw me enter the combination during my first week at work? Perhaps I should be more careful; you know how our aunt's always going on about the crime rates in London, and about how people living in cities should be more cautious._

_Anyway, email me back soon and tell me all your news. Give my love to the rest of our family._

_I miss you!_

_Love,_

_Charlotte_

* * *

Two days might have passed since Charlotte sent an email to her sister on Wednesday morning while she ate breakfast in the kitchen of her flat, telling her the story of the mysterious appearance of the book in her locker, but by the time Friday evening arrived, Charlotte was still obsessing over the copy of _Sense and Sensibility_.

As her legs seemed to carry her in the direction of the local Starbucks without her even thinking too much about where she was going after work, she thought yet again about who could possibly have left the book in her locker, and why they might have done so in the first place.

As she took a few steps closer to the coffee shop, she suddenly remembered how James Stringer had initially asked about her old copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ after he spotted it in her locker on her first day at work, and she'd confirmed to him that day that she was a fan of Jane Austen. She also remembered how she'd told James that she was planning on purchasing more copies of Austen's books…Had _he_ been the one to leave the book in her locker? Perhaps he'd thought he'd do something nice for Charlotte to give her a head start in building up her book collection…

But, if James _had_ left the book for her as some kind of gift, he hadn't said or done anything during the week to give any indication that it was him. In fact, nobody had approached Charlotte to confess to leaving the book in her locker.

Charlotte had also already considered the possibility that the book had been left in her locker by mistake, even though this idea made her feel a little sad; the book was so beautiful, and she had grown quite attached to it over the past four days, reading the first few chapters during her breaks, turning the pages slowly and carefully, and occasionally running her hands gently over the beautiful front cover when nobody else was around.

All week, she had half-expected Tom or Mary to take the book away from her, explaining with resigned looks on their faces that the book had been meant for somebody else…but that was yet to happen.

* * *

Charlotte held the book almost protectively in her arms as she entered the coffee shop; now that this book had somehow found her, she really didn't want to lose it.

As Charlotte joined the line of customers who were waiting to order their drinks, she couldn't help thinking about her encounter with Sidney Parker here this time last week.

She was still puzzled as to why he'd bought her a fresh cup of tea and had it sent over to her table; she'd thought about it a lot since last Friday-more often than she liked to admit-but all that she'd been able to come up with as an explanation was that he was perhaps trying to make amends for his off-hand treatment of Charlotte on her first day at work. Although, she doubted that he was trying to make amends out of the goodness of his heart; it was more likely that Tom and Mary had spoken to him about his behaviour, telling him that it looked bad for the business when he was rude to their staff; maybe they'd suggested that he needed to do more to boost staff morale, and so he'd tried to do something nice for Charlotte.

After all, Charlotte had thought when she first came to this conclusion, why else would Sidney Parker buy a drink for her?

A quick glance around the room told Charlotte that unlike last Friday evening, Sidney Parker wasn't at the coffee shop at the moment. Charlotte hadn't seen him all day.

She had only seen him a handful of times this week. On Monday, he'd walked past her on his way to a meeting in Tom's office, greeting her with a curt, "Miss Heywood," as he passed her at the photocopier in the hallway.

Charlotte had greeted him with a polite, "Mr. Parker," in return, but she hadn't been able to help glaring at him when he'd noticed that she was attempting to read the final chapters of _Pride and Prejudice_ while photocopying several documents for Tom at the same time, and he'd rolled his eyes in reaction to this behaviour.

On Thursday, Charlotte had headed to _Starbucks_ by herself during her lunch hour, deciding to use the time to answer a few of the comments on her latest blog post.

She'd sat at a table with her back to the counter, but after about half an hour, she'd heard the distinct sound of Crowe's voice as he greeted his friend Babington. Then, after a couple of moments of silence, she'd then heard Crowe sigh and mutter something that sounded a lot like, "Oh no, not you too, Parker…", which had alerted Charlotte to the fact that at least one member of the Parker family was also in the room.

Charlotte had had no idea what Crowe meant by those words, and she'd half-wondered if another of the Parker brothers was perhaps standing next to Crowe in the line, but then she'd heard the unmistakeable voice of Sidney Parker as he replied to his friend's comment: "That's enough, Crowe," he'd muttered, his tone of voice somehow sounding firm but amused at the same time.

But then Crowe had seemed to get distracted from the discussion. Charlotte had heard him mutter: "Why, hello…" in what she'd assumed was supposed to be a flirtatious tone of voice, before he'd headed outside to talk to the woman with blonde hair who Charlotte had seen at the coffee shop on her first day at work, who had happened to be looking through the coffee shop window from outside.

Charlotte had glanced out the coffee shop window to watch Crowe talking to the blonde woman, who'd been dressed in a smart suit and was carrying various shopping bags with the logos of expensive clothes shops on the front-Charlotte guessed that she worked at one of the offices nearby and had used her lunch hour to go shopping.

The woman didn't seem to be entirely taken in by Crowe's dubious charms, but still she sort of smiled at him as he spoke, and she allowed him to carry a few of her shopping bags as they started walking together.

Charlotte had then chanced a glance over her shoulder to see that Sidney Parker was already looking right at her.

"Miss Heywood," Sidney had greeted her with his usual polite nod, almost looking a little uncomfortable for a moment, before he'd headed out the door with a takeout cup of coffee in his hand, leaving Charlotte to think again about how much Sidney Parker…confused her.

Charlotte was snapped out her memories about the past week when she reached the front of the line.

Babington was working behind the counter again today, and he smiled at Charlotte as she approached.

After briefly glancing at the list of drinks displayed on the wall behind the counter, Charlotte decided to order a Jasmine Pearls tea today, just for a little variety. She knew that this wasn't exactly the same as trying a variety of expensive cocktails at fancy bars in the city, as some of her work colleagues liked to do, but still, a different flavour of tea offered her _some_ variation all the same.

Charlotte chose a table near the coffee shop door, and after she'd sat down and taken a few sips of her drink, it wasn't long before she'd placed her new book on the table. Slowly and carefully, Charlotte opened the book and carried on reading where she had left off.

She was so engrossed in her reading that she was barely aware of her surroundings. It was therefore something of a shock when she heard the sound of a male voice…

" _Sense and Sensibility_ ," she heard the deep voice announce. "A tale of what can happen when morally grey characters are badly influenced into taking more than their fair share of an inheritance, and the unfortunate consequences that can occur as a result of such a poor decision…"

Charlotte jumped and then blinked rapidly in surprise a few times before she looked up to see Sidney Parker standing above her, close to her table. He must have just and arrived and been about to walk past her table on his way to the counter, but it seemed he'd somehow worked out which book she was reading and had decided to stop near her table instead to make a comment about it.

He was dressed in casual clothes again today-jeans and a black T-shirt. Still he looked stylish, and Charlotte imagined that the outfit had probably cost a fortune, in spite of its deceptively casually appearance. Sidney Parker somehow seemed to suit whatever outfit he wore. Not that Charlotte thought about that idea very much.

Charlotte frowned. She thought it was an awfully strange coincidence, that Sidney Parker seemed to constantly show up at Starbucks at the same time as her.

"Oh, no," Charlotte couldn't help responding to him after a few moments of stunned silence-she could never resist, when someone spouted what she believed to be inaccurate views about the themes of one of Jane Austen's stories, " _Sense and Sensibility_ is about so much more than that, Mr. Parker…"

"Well?" Sidney prompted her as he folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "I'm all ears, Miss Heywood…"

There was something a little sarcastic, and a little patronising, in Sidney Parker's tone, and Charlotte couldn't help glaring at him as a result.

She debated not saying anything at all-Sidney Parker hadn't exactly been enthusiastic so far about her love of Austen's work, after all-but she then she decided against staying silent; she knew that Sidney would 'win' this discussion somehow, if she had nothing to say in response.

And so she started to talk about the book's two main characters, Elinor and Marianne, and the plot of the story _after_ they lost out on an inheritance, and how these two characters in _Sense and Sensibility_ embodied two seemingly opposing key behaviours, or personality traits, eventually taking on elements of each other's personalities as the events of the story progressed.

"And so," Charlotte concluded, all too aware that she was talking very fast in her enthusiasm for the story, "the reader is left to decide whether 'sense' or 'sensibility' ultimately wins out as a personality trait, or whether it's best to strive for some sort of balance between the two…"

Sidney Parker watched her with a raised eyebrow for a few moments after she finished speaking.

Charlotte couldn't help thinking that he almost looked impressed…unless she was only imagining things.

"And which romance interested you the most throughout the story, Miss Heywood?" he suddenly asked her with another raised eyebrow, apparently having forgotten about the fact that he was supposed to be heading over to the counter to order a drink from his friend. That was why he was here in the first place, wasn't it? "Was it the romance of Elinor and Edward?" he asked. "After she won him away from Lucy Steele, of course. Or perhaps the first love romance and inevitable heartbreak of Marianne and Willoughby's story?"

There was something a little mocking in Sidney Parker's tone now, Charlotte noticed. She remembered how he'd made a sarcastic comment last week about how 'fans' of Jane Austen only really cared about seeing handsome men emerge from lakes, and she wondered if this comment about romance related in some way to his previous judgemental words. Perhaps he thought that Charlotte was only truly capable of understanding the love stories in Jane Austen's novels?

"You seem to know an awful lot about this story, for someone who claims to dislike Jane Austen's work," Charlotte retorted as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You seem to enjoy making assumptions, Miss Heywood," Sidney replied to her with a roll of his eyes, while Charlotte glared at him.

"If you must know," Charlotte eventually replied, after the two of them seemed to stare each other out for a few moments, as though they were each silently daring the other to speak first, "it was the eventual marriage of Marianne and Colonel Brandon that interested me the most. Their story was one of learning to love again, with Marianne eventually realising that the right man had been right in front of her all along…"

Sidney seemed to frown for a moment, looking like he was troubled by his own thoughts. "Perhaps Marianne was simply forced to settle after she was denied a future with her true love," he suggested. "The story often suggests that her heart never truly recovered from the loss of Willoughby…or so I've heard, anyway," he finished, looking a little uncomfortable now.

Charlotte allowed herself a few moments to feel surprised about Sidney's words, and the fact that he seemed to have enough knowledge about _Sense and Sensibility_ to have formed an opinion about some of the plot lines, but then the two of them soon started bickering when Charlotte insisted that she didn't agree with what Sidney was saying.

They then moved on to bickering about Lucy Steele's character, debating whether her character was simply supposed to be a product of the time she lived in, where many restrictions were imposed on women, or whether she was a ruthless, calculating character who could have existed in any era.

As Charlotte and Sidney debated back and forth, Babington seemed to make a great show of cleaning a couple of the tables around them, looking like he was trying not to laugh, and Charlotte suspected that he was treating their bickering as some sort of entertainment.

"Why don't you sit down, Mr. Parker?" Charlotte eventually demanded of him, after Babington had walked away. "I'm not comfortable arguing with you when you're standing over me like that."

"And yet you'd be comfortable arguing with me while I'm sitting directly opposite you at your table?" Sidney asked her, looking like he was torn between amusement and exasperation.

"Yes," said Charlotte, unable to think of anything more sophisticated to say in response.

"Fair enough," said Sidney, as he sat down slowly in the seat opposite her.

Their bickering about the plot and the characters of _Sense and Sensibility_ continued for a little while longer, with Charlotte finishing the last of her Jasmine tea at the same time, before she briefly glanced over her shoulder when Esther arrived to order a takeout cup of coffee from Babington.

Secretly, Charlotte was quite enjoying herself, in spite of the constant bickering. Sidney Parker might not have been a fan of Jane Austen, but he certainly knew a lot about _Sense and Sensibility_ , and Charlotte hadn't met anyone before who she could debate with in person about one of Jane Austen's books. It was a very interesting experience.

As Sidney disagreed with a few more of her opinions, it occurred to Charlotte that he was perhaps deliberately coming out with statements about the book that he knew she would disagree with, perhaps to provoke some kind of reaction out of her, or to test her to see what her true opinions were.

They were interrupted from their conversation when Esther returned to the coffee shop, still holding her recently purchased cup of coffee in her hand.

She took rapid steps towards Babington, the sound of her high-heeled boots echoing on the floor. She looked very unimpressed about something.

"What is this?" she demanded of Babington as she practically slammed the takeout cup onto the counter.

Babington, however, did not seem very perplexed. "It's a cup of coffee, Esther," he replied with a playful grin. "You ordered it a few minutes ago, remember?"

"Very funny," Esther snapped back at him. "You know what I'm talking about," she continued, as she pointed to something on the outside of the cup.

Charlotte tried not to make it look too obvious that she was craning her neck in an attempt to see what Esther was pointing at.

"It's your name, Esther," Babington continued with another grin. "With a…heart drawn around it…and my name written under yours in the heart," he then added in a much quieter tone of voice, finally sounding a little embarrassed.

Esther couldn't seem to think of much else to say; she seemed to decide to settle on folding her arms and glaring at Babington instead.

"Look," said Babington after a few moments, after he'd stared right back at Esther for a little while, looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world, in spite of the current irritated look on her face, "if you really don't want it, I'll just put your drink in another cup-"

"I didn't say that I didn't want it," Esther snapped at him, quickly picking the takeout cup back up off the counter and holding it almost protectively in her hands, as though Babington might snatch it away from her at any moment."

"Then, what-" Babington started to ask her, before Esther interrupted him...

"I just wanted to let you know that you're a fool for drawing a heart around our names in the first place," she said.

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the coffee shop.

However, Charlotte noticed that Esther still cradled the cup protectively in her hands as she walked, and she seemed to smile to herself the moment she was outside, running her fingers gently over the drawing of the heart before she took a sip of her coffee.

Inside the coffee shop, Sidney nodded his head almost sympathetically at Babington, while Babington shrugged and grinned as he looked over at Sidney, but neither men seemed to be reacting as though Esther's behaviour was anything out of the ordinary.

Charlotte frowned a little, still trying to work out Esther's behaviour around Babington.

Sidney seemed to watch her from across the table as she frowned.

"Someone like Esther will be good for him," he told Charlotte in a low voice, even though this didn't really answer any of Charlotte's unspoken questions. "I haven't seen a woman around him who hasn't just been after his fortune for years."

"His fortune?" Charlotte asked, feeling confused. "But, he works at Starbucks…"

Charlotte cringed a little as she finished speaking. She hadn't meant it to sound like that-there was nothing wrong with working at a coffee shop, and she'd previously worked in a similar role herself; she just couldn't understand how Babington could have amassed a fortune through working at such a place.

"He doesn't just work at Starbucks," Sidney told her in an irritated tone of voice that almost seemed to tell her that she should have worked this out all along. "He owns half of the Starbucks in London, along with shares in several other companies. He likes to spend time working in the coffee shops to see how things are going 'on the ground', so to speak. There's also the matter of his family's large fortune that he stands to inherit; his father even has a seat in the House of Lords…"

Charlotte sat in silence for a little while, trying to absorb what Sidney had just told her. Then she thought of something else: "But…why does Esther always pretend to dislike him, if she has genuine feelings for him?" Charlotte asked Sidney, partly to change the subject, but also because this idea genuinely confused her.

Sidney seemed to regard Charlotte for several long moments after she asked this question, his head tilted to one side as though trying to work her out.

Charlotte almost felt a little embarrassed at being the subject of such an intense stare.

"Why indeed," Sidney finally responded, his expression serious as he gave an annoyingly vague answer. He looked at Charlotte like he was irritated that she didn't already know the answer to her own question, or like he knew something that she didn't.

The way he talked sometimes...he reminded Charlotte of the characters in her favourite classic novels. Charlotte wondered if Sidney Parker's formal way of speaking was the result of an education in a high ranking school or university, or perhaps he was very well-versed in classic literature, and he used certain words and phrases from these books in his own spoken conversations.

Looking a little uncomfortable about something, Sidney suddenly got up out of his seat and headed in Babington's direction-Charlotte assumed that he was going to commiserate with his friend about his recent encounter with Esther-leaving Charlotte to think about how she had it got it wrong with regards to Babington's background. She knew that this wasn't really something to worry about too much, but the problem was that Charlotte often made assumptions about people based on her first impressions of them, always believing that she was a good judge of their character and their history. But, if she had instantly assumed that Babington just spent his days working behind the coffee shop counter, and she'd been wrong, then what else had she got wrong about the other people she had encountered so far in London?

When Sidney returned to the table, Charlotte was surprised to see that he was balancing a large cup of coffee and another, smaller cup in the hand that was not currently holding his phone.

Charlotte was even more surprised when Sidney placed a cup of Jasmine Pearls tea right in front of her. Is was the exact same drink that she had ordered earlier.

Charlotte stared at this fresh cup of tea suspiciously.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Heywood?" Sidney asked her, the tone of impatience back in his voice.

"You don't have to feel obliged, you know," Charlotte told him with a frown, "to pay for my drinks, I mean." _Just because I'm poorer than you…._ were the words that Charlotte left unspoken at the end of her sentence. Perhaps she was just being a little naïve, but she couldn't think of any other reason why Sidney would have paid for her drink for the second time.

"Yet more assumptions, Miss Heywood," Sidney muttered, sounding a little annoyed.

Charlotte couldn't help glaring at him, too stubborn to pick up her tea and drink it, even though she'd really liked her other cup of Jasmine Pearls tea.

Their tense silence was interrupted when Sidney's phone started to ring.

Sidney answered it quickly without even checking the screen to see who was calling. "Sidney Parker," he said into the phone, his tone almost abrupt.

Charlotte guessed that he was assuming it was a business call.

"Sidney!"

Charlotte heard the unmistakeable sound of Crowe's loud voice through the phone, his tone of voice full on enthusiasm.

"Things seem to be progressing with Clara," Crowe declared, before Sidney could say anything in response. "I managed to have a whole conversation with her yesterday without her insulting me! It won't be long before she realises that she finds me irresistible!"

"I'm delighted to hear that," Sidney muttered, sounding a little sarcastic. "We can all truly rest easier now…"

As the two men continued to talk, Charlotte took the opportunity to discreetly pick up her cup of tea and take a sip, in the hope that Sidney would be too distracted talking to his friend to notice.

"How do you like your tea, Miss Heywood?" Charlotte heard Sidney ask her the moment she took a sip.

Charlotte sighed. It seemed that he had noticed what she was doing after all, and he'd made a point of pausing his call to let her know.

"It's fine," Charlotte replied to him through gritted teeth, while Sidney looked rather smug.

"Sidney, you dark horse!" Charlotte suddenly heard Crowe shout out through the phone, his tone of voice sounding both amused and intrigued. "Are you on a date with that pretty girl from your brother's office?!"

"Definitely not!" Charlotte called out, loud enough for Crowe to hear, suddenly feeling very embarrassed.

She didn't like the 'nudge-nudge-wink-wink' tone to Crowe's voice. For the first time, it occurred to Charlotte that Sidney might have already made a habit out of laughing about her with his friends. Perhaps, after her first week at work, he'd told his friends all about the strange young girl with the Jane Austen obsession who worked at his brother's office; a girl who got strangely defensive when anyone tried to question this Austen obsession.

Not to mention that Sidney Parker had just spent most of the evening disagreeing with a lot of Charlotte's opinions, rolling his eyes at her several times and accusing her of making assumptions. All of this added to his rude treatment of her during her first week at work, and Charlotte really wasn't very impressed with him right now. Why should she allow Crowe to jump to the wrong conclusion?

"Apparently not, Crowe," Sidney told his friend in response to Charlotte's words.

Again, Charlotte saw that tug at the corner of his lips, like he was trying to fight off a smile.

His answer left Charlotte feeling more confused than ever.

* * *

The first thing that Charlotte did when she arrived back at her flat on Friday evening was to switch on her laptop and open up a blank document, in preparation for writing a new blog post.

 _Marianne and Colonel Brandon,_ she typed out as a title for her latest post. _A story of learning to love, or a story of settling when one has lost their true love?_

Charlotte wasn't sure if she'd got the wording of the title right, as every encounter with Sidney Parker seemed to have the unfortunate consequence of addling her thoughts for a little while afterwards, and this evening's encounter with him at Starbucks was no exception, but still she went on to type a short post underneath the title that she hoped got across to her followers the point she was asking them to consider.

Since Sidney Parker had questioned her idea of what the eventual marriage between Brandon and Marianne truly represented, Charlotte was overcome with curiosity to know what other readers thought about that particular relationship, and whether they would agree with Sidney's more cynical view.

Minutes after posting the article, Charlotte received a notification that told her she had a new comment…

Seriously?? _LostinPermberley_ had written in the comments section, in response to Charlotte's latest post.

Charlotte frowned in confusion as she read that one word over and over. That was strange. Very strange. What had annoyed her male follower so much about that particular post?

Charlotte was distracted from _LostinPemberley_ 's comment by the sound of her phone ringing. She glanced at the number on the screen and saw that it was her aunt who was calling.

"Esther?" Charlotte heard her aunt asking in a loud voice the moment Charlotte answered her phone.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. She was used to her aunt going through a list of names of nieces and nephews before she finally arrived at the correct name, and today seemed like no exception. This was the first time however that Charlotte had heard her aunt use the name 'Esther'. Probably another niece that Charlotte did not yet know about, she decided. It was quite a strange coincidence though, that Charlotte had already been hearing the name 'Esther' so much lately, only to now hear it said by her aunt. Charlotte decided not to get too distracted by this thought just yet-she had after all just experienced two weeks of other strange coincidences.

"It's Charlotte, Aunt," Charlotte told her, trying to keep her tone of voice gentle but firm.

"Ah, yes, yes, of course…Charlotte," her aunt replied. "How's life in London? Have you found a handsome boyfriend there yet?"

"I've only been here for two weeks, Aunt," said Charlotte, trying not to sound exasperated.

"That's plenty of time!" her aunt declared. "When _I_ was living in London at your age, I had _two_ handsome men fighting over me less than a month after my arrival!"

Charlotte had to resist trying to explain to her aunt that times were very different now, and that she had not in fact moved to London with the intention of finding love; her aunt wouldn't listen anyway.

Luckily, her aunt was soon distracted by the prospect of talking about her favourite subject-herself. She went through a long list of ailments that she supposedly had, even though she always seemed to be in perfect health whenever Charlotte saw her, before she moved on to talking about the renovation work that was currently being carried out at her large countryside home, and then she shared a little gossip with Charlotte about her friends and a few of the older men who moved in the same social circles as her; men who were apparently 'still under the illusion' that Charlotte's aunt would consider marrying one of them.

"Well, I really must go," her aunt eventually announced, after she'd caught Charlotte up on all her news. "I have a few other calls to make…and a few family quarrels to deal with," she added with a roll of her eyes. "You'll be smitten with a young man in London soon, Charlotte, you mark my words," her aunt declared.

"Whatever you say, Aunt," Charlotte told her with an exasperated smile, before she ended the call.

Charlotte spent the rest of the evening reading and responding to the replies on her latest blog post. The replies varied in length, but it seemed that opinion was split almost down the middle with regards to the marriage of Brandon and Marianne.

 _LostinPemberley_ however did not offer any further comments or opinions.

* * *

When Charlotte woke up on Saturday morning, a quick glance out of her bedroom window showed her that the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

Charlotte decided that she really wanted to get some fresh air today, and do a little exercise. Back home, she'd spent many an evening and weekend running and jogging through open fields and woodland, and over countryside pathways, and up and down slopes as part of her exercise routines, and even though the city of London had a lot less open space than the village of Willingden, Charlotte was sure that there must be a local park nearby where she could go for a run.

Over breakfast, Charlotte used her phone to carry out a quick Internet search of nearby parks. In the end, she decided on Regent's Park as the place where she was going to head to for today's run.

The park wasn't too far from where she lived-she would only have to travel a couple of stops on the Tube, or she could walk there instead, and it really did look beautiful in photos. The photo of the boating lake in the park fascinated Charlotte the most, and she really wanted to see it in person.

And so Charlotte quickly got ready to go, putting on her running gear and grabbing a bottle of water before she headed out the door.

* * *

When Charlotte arrived at Regent's Park, she could see that it looked almost as beautiful as it did in the official online photos.

She started with a gentle jog along the tree-lined pathways, taking in the sights of the flowerbeds, and the couples and the families who were strolling around in the gardens nearby.

After about ten minutes, Charlotte passed by the boating lake as she ran. She slowed down a little, looking at all the peddle boats and the sailing boats that were currently floating on the surface of the water. There were several couples occupying the sailing boats, using oars to gently steer their boats along the lake, with most of the couples looking far more interested in looking at each other than using the oars to steer.

Charlotte watched a few of the couples as though transfixed for several long moments. She couldn't help thinking about how romantic it would be, to be in love and to be sitting opposite a romantic partner in a sailing boat in the middle of the lake, gazing into each other's eyes as the boat glided smoothly over the water.

Even as Charlotte started running along the path again, she kept glancing back over her shoulder to look at the lake. She paid for her lapse in concentration however. She was still looking over her shoulder, not paying attention to the path ahead, when her body suddenly collided with something, or someone, that must have been approaching her on the same path, coming from the opposite direction.

It felt like running into a solid wall. Charlotte was so shocked by the sudden impact that she didn't have enough time to hold a hand out in front of her, or to do anything at all to keep her balance.

Losing her footing, she fell backwards onto the ground. Luckily, the ground below her was soft, and she just about managed to use her hands to ease the impact of the fall a little.

From her position on the ground, Charlotte felt a little embarrassed as it fully started to hit her that she'd just fallen ungracefully in the middle of a busy park.

And, as though that wasn't bad enough…

"Miss Heywood…" Charlotte heard an all too familiar voice say from above her.

Charlotte felt her heart sink. _Oh no, oh no, oh no_ …a voice in her head seemed to say, over and over. Why him, of all people?

Still sitting on the ground, Charlotte held her hand up to her forehead to try to see clearly, as the reflective rays from the sun were threatening to dazzle her.

Slowly, she looked up to see Sidney Parker standing above her, with a very shocked and bewildered (and maybe even a little judgemental) expression on his face.

And the look on Sidney's face was not the only thing that Charlotte noticed about him…

Sidney Parker seemed to have been running in the park as well, and he must have removed his T-shirt at some point before Charlotte ran into him, no doubt due to the exceptionally warm London weather this afternoon, and he had placed his white T-shirt around the back of his neck, which meant that he was now standing over Charlotte without a shirt on, his toned torso on full display…

"Oh!" Charlotte heard herself gasp, before she quickly averted her eyes, deliberately looking away from him.

Her heart started to beat faster. She was sure that her cheeks were flushed. She wasn't sure why she felt so embarrassed at the idea that Sidney Parker (her boss's boss, as she quickly tried to remind herself in her head) was standing so close to her, shirtless, or the idea that she had clearly just crashed into his bare torso when she hadn't been looking where she was going.

It was just that she wasn't really used to being around scantily clad men, especially not men who were so…

Charlotte shook her head, feeling very confused about everything. She didn't really know where to look, or how to react.

Finally, Sidney's harsh tone of voice snapped her back to her senses…

"It seems I can't escape you," Charlotte heard him mutter in a low voice as he looked away from her, as though he were talking to himself, or voicing an inner thought.

Charlotte regained enough composure to roll her eyes at him. It really was strange though, how they kept running into one other...literally, this time. Charlotte couldn't remember running into one person by chance this many times in such a short space of time before, even in Willingden, which was far smaller than London, and she knew a lot more people there.

Sidney frowned down at her before he held out a hand to help her up.

He was strong, Charlotte realised, as he managed to get her to her feet in a matter of seconds, pulling her up as though she weighed nothing at all, but there was also something surprisingly gentle about the way he held onto her wrist-it was a gentleness that didn't quite match the guarded expression on his face.

"Mr. Parker," Charlotte greeted him, trying to sound as dignified as possible, and still trying to avert her eyes.

Sidney seemed to glare at her, as though she had somehow _intentionally_ ambushed him during his run and ruined his afternoon in the park.

"Well?" Sidney asked her after they'd regarded each other in silence for a few tense moments and he'd put his shirt back on, apparently sensing some of Charlotte's discomfort about his shirtless state.

"Well, what?" Charlotte snapped at him. Surely he wasn't expecting her to apologise?

"Are you here to run, or….?" he asked Charlotte slowly as he held out a hand to gesture at the path ahead.

Still feeling very confused, Charlotte somehow ended up jogging next to Sidney Parker, the two of them suddenly exercising together.

Charlotte noticed that Sidney drew a lot of admiring glances from women in the park as he and Charlotte ran up and down the nearest pathways. A few women even seemed to throw not-so-nice looks in Charlotte's direction. It took Charlotte a little while to work it out, but she eventually realised that these women thought that her and Sidney were a couple, and they were envious of her. Charlotte felt strangely embarrassed at this realisation.

Sidney didn't talk to Charlotte as he ran, and he even seemed to throw a few irritated glances in her direction, although Charlotte didn't know why; she just knew that she wasn't impressed by his less than friendly behaviour.

"You don't have to go slower for me, you know," Charlotte couldn't resist saying to him after a long silence, trying not to make it obvious that she was a little out of breath.

"Yet more assumptions, Miss Heywood," Sidney replied to her, which irritated Charlotte all over again.

"You know," Charlotte told him, when they'd eventually slowed to a walk, "you don't have to be so cold and so unfeeling all the time."

Sidney turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me?" he demanded of her, an angry tone to his voice, as though Charlotte had crossed a line.

"You have good friends, Mr. Parker, and a family that clearly cares about you," said Charlotte, determined not to be intimidated by him. "It wouldn't hurt you to at least pretend to be kind to people every now and again, or to attempt to show some interest in other people's lives…"

"And what would you know," Sidney retorted, his tone of voice level, but somehow still sounding furious, "about the people in my life, or any of my…relationships with others, for that matter? Your enjoyment of making constant, incorrect assumptions would suggest that you are perhaps not the best judge of character…"

Charlotte felt hurt by his words, but she fought not to show this in her facial expression. "I'm entitled to my opinions, Mr. Parker, just like you," she said, trying to keep her head held high.

Sidney rolled his eyes at her, but he didn't say anything in response. Instead, he picked up his pace a little, then, when he was a few feet away, he turned and looked over his shoulder, as though waiting for Charlotte to catch up with him.

Charlotte might have frowned at him as she started to move towards him, but it wasn't long before they were running side-by-side again.

* * *

When Charlotte returned to her flat on Saturday evening, she might have felt exhausted after her run, but her mind was still very active, which meant that it was very difficult for her to concentrate on anything productive that she could be doing.

She kept playing her conversation with Sidney Parker in Regent's Park over and over in her thoughts, still feeling a little hurt by his harsh words, and, as much as Charlotte tried to distract herself by taking a shower and then playing classical music on her phone as she searched for something to cook for dinner, an image of Sidney Parker without his shirt on kept reappearing in her mind's eye, much to Charlotte's embarrassment, and confusion.

As she ate her evening meal, she tried to distract herself in another way-by using her phone to look at more of the recent comments on her blog post ( _LostinPemberley_ had still not elaborated on his 'Seriously??' comment, and Charlotte doubted that he would add anything else to her post now), but then, as she checked her social media pages, something else happened to occupy Charlotte's mind…

She noticed that she had a new follower on her Instagram page- _Sidney Parker_ had just started to follow her.

Charlotte blinked rapidly a few times in surprise, convinced for a moment that she was seeing things. If Sidney really had just started to follow her account, then this seemed very strange to Charlotte.

Georgiana and James had started to follow Charlotte on Instagram a couple of days after she first met them, but this follow from Sidney felt…different, somehow.

Charlotte might have always kept her Instagram page public, as she wanted as many people as possible to see the drawings and the paintings she often posted on there, so Sidney or anyone else from work could technically see her photos anyway, if they wanted to look, but still, it was a little odd, that Sidney Parker had actually decided to openly follow her account, especially as he never seemed to be particularly interested in Charlotte whenever they met face to face, and he'd been so offhand with her at the park today, looking at her the whole time as though she'd deliberately disturbed his peaceful run. Not to mention that he was technically her boss, and so this action felt more like some sort of strange step on his part into Charlotte's life outside of work.

Sidney Parker's own Instagram account was set to 'private', of course, but a quick glance at the intense, almost smoldering expression on his face in his profile picture confirmed to Charlotte that this really was the same Sidney Parker as the one who she kept running into all the time in person.

Charlotte was not quite brave enough to send a request to follow Sidney Parker in return. Instead, she thought about all the pictures she'd posted on her own page over the past few years, and she wondered if Sidney would even look at them; if he was maybe looking at any of her photos right now. Of course, there was always the possibility that he just wanted to have access to her social media page so that he could find something else about her to ridicule.

After about ten minutes, Charlotte noticed that Sidney had liked one of her photos-it was one of Charlotte's recent paintings; she had tried to paint a watercolour picture of all of Austen heroines-the leading ladies of Jane's stories. Charlotte had been quite pleased with how the picture had turned out, but right now, she was a little puzzled as to why Sidney Parker had liked that particular photo. He'd made it clear that he disapproved of Jane Austen fans, after all. Was it part of some kind of joke that Charlotte couldn't understand? Was he planning on showing the picture to Crowe and Babington, so they could all have a good laugh together at Charlotte's expense?

But then, Sidney Parker didn't really seem like the joking type…

In the end, Charlotte decided to stop staring at her phone screen and find something more productive to do-she did not want to spend the evening obsessing over Sidney Parker's behaviour.

She tried to distract herself by reading a few more chapters of _Sense and Sensibility_ , already coming up with some new ideas for a few more blog posts related to the book.

* * *

Charlotte fell asleep quite quickly when she got into bed that night.

It wasn't long before she started to have the dream again; somehow, the dream was now more vivid than before. The people in the ballroom still looked a little out of focus, but there was something more familiar about these people now; Charlotte almost felt as though she were among friends.

The mysterious, brooding stranger appeared in the ballroom, like always. He was still wearing his mask, but he seemed to get closer to Charlotte this time. Charlotte could almost feel his hand upon her waist. He danced with her a little this time, the two of them spinning around under the chandelier, moving in perfect sync, as though they were made for one another. But, like always, the moment the man said her name and went to remove his mask, Charlotte woke up.

In Charlotte's half-asleep state, it took her a few moments to remember that she was in her new flat in London and not in fact in her old room in Willingden. She let out a sigh of irritation at the realisation that her dream had been cut short yet again before she could catch a glimpse of the man's face.

It took her a while to fall asleep again, and, when she did, her dreams still seemed to be full of masked men...but now, these dreams were interspersed with images of a man with an irritated expression on his face who was not wearing a shirt.


	3. Chapter 3

Charlotte left her flat to head to work a little earlier than usual on Monday morning.

She'd been having the dream again through the night, over and over, and she'd finally been pulled out of her dream yet again before she could see the mysterious stranger's face at around half past five in the morning, and she'd decided at that point that she might as well just get up and start getting ready for the day ahead.

Over breakfast, Charlotte had read her sister's reply to her recent email. Alison had mostly updated Charlotte on all of her own news, and she'd asked Charlotte several more questions about what it was like to live in London, promising to come and visit soon, but she'd definitely been intrigued by the saga of the leather-bound book that had mysteriously appeared in Charlotte's locker last week-she'd asked Charlotte to send her more details about all the people who could have been at the right place at the right time to hide the book in her locker.

Charlotte had smiled to herself as she read the email-Alison's words had reminded her of all of the 'investigations' that the two of them had carried out back home in Willingden when they were younger, the two of them trying to make their own entertainment in a village where not much happened, becoming fascinated by any little going on that occurred there.

Now, Charlotte walked slowly from the underground Tube station to the road where the old Georgian house that had been converted into offices was located, lost in her own thoughts about the weekend. It really had been a strange weekend, when she thought about it. Again she thought about her conversation with Sidney Parker in Regent's Park, and how angry he'd looked when Charlotte had made a comment about how he should attempt to show some interest in other people; she thought about how hurt she'd felt in return when he'd implied that she was too naïve to make judgements about other people's characters. But still he'd completed his run around the park with Charlotte by his side, and he'd followed her on Instagram that same evening. He really was such a confusing person.

When she'd got about halfway down the road, Charlotte was joined by Georgiana, who was also heading into work. She fell into step next to Charlotte, telling her about another date that she'd been on with her boyfriend at the weekend at a fancy restaurant.

When Georgiana asked Charlotte what _she'd_ got up to at the weekend, Charlotte couldn't resist telling her about her encounter with Sidney at the park-she just wanted to tell _someone_ , for some reason. She wondered if she should perhaps be a little concerned that the rest of her weekend had been so dull in comparison that her time spent with Sidney Parker on Saturday afternoon had somehow turned into some sort of highlight for Charlotte.

She hadn't intended to mimic Sidney's way of speaking, but as she quoted a few of the words that he'd said to her in the park, she found herself slipping into his formal tone of voice.

"That's uncanny!" Georgiana told her in between her gasps of laughter.

She seemed far more interested in laughing at Charlotte's impersonation of Sidney than looking for any hidden meaning behind the words that Sidney had said.

Charlotte abruptly stopped quoting Sidney Parker when they got close to the office building and she noticed that Sidney's car was parked outside.

She tensed up, almost afraid that he was hiding around a corner and would suddenly appear in front of Charlotte with a disapproving look on his face.

"You shouldn't worry about offending Sidney," Georgiana told her with an exasperated-sounding sigh when Charlotte went silent and held up a hand to stop Georgiana from laughing. Charlotte had noticed that Georgiana was one of the few people at work who always called Sidney Parker by his first name. "He dislikes everyone, Charlotte, whether they're polite to him or not."

Charlotte was almost about to debate this idea with Georgiana, to say something about how it surely wasn't true, and that Sidney couldn't possibly dislike everyone, but she stopped herself at the last second. Perhaps Georgiana was right, and Charlotte was the one being naïve. Had Charlotte not similarly accused Sidney of a dislike for others, when they'd been running together in the park?

* * *

The two of them walked up the stone steps and into the building together.

When Charlotte headed over to her locker, she noticed that James Stringer was already standing close to it, leaning almost casually against the wall nearest to the block of lockers.

Charlotte watched him suspiciously for a few moments, but it didn't seem like he'd just opened Charlotte's locker to place anything inside it. She was distracted from her thoughts about gifts in lockers when James waved to her as he saw her approach. He then smiled at Charlotte and Georgiana in greeting, and Charlotte smiled at him in return. Charlotte couldn't help wondering if he'd been waiting by her locker for her to arrive.

"How was your weekend?" Charlotte asked him as she leaned against her own locker.

James told her about a few of the places he'd been to with his friend Fred over the weekend.

"And how was _your_ weekend, Charlotte?" James asked her in return, looking genuinely interested to hear about what Charlotte had been up to.

Charlotte was about to answer him, but they were interrupted when Tom Parker suddenly peered around the staff room door.

"Ah, Charlotte," he said, looking as befuddled as he usually did at the start of a working day, "Sidney would like to have a word with you before you head upstairs to your office-he's just waiting for you in my office…it won't take long," he added, apparently confusing Charlotte's apprehensive expression for her concern that she would not be able to start her day's tasks promptly.

Charlotte shared a confused look with James, who shrugged almost sympathetically at her, before she started to walk towards Tom and Mary's office.

Georgiana stayed by the staff room door to talk to Tom, but Charlotte could tell by the way that she kept glancing at her over her shoulder as she got closer to the office that she too was curious to know what Sidney Parker had to say to Charlotte.

* * *

Tom's office door was already half-open, but Charlotte knocked on the door anyway.

"Enter!" she heard a deep male voice call out to her.

When Charlotte walked into the room, she saw that Sidney was sitting behind Tom's desk as though he owned the place-which, when Charlotte thought about it, was probably true. Still, it irritated Charlotte a little, that he seemed to have full command of the room.

Sidney was dressed very formally, in a dark work shirt, and there was a rather serious expression on his face.

Charlotte now wondered if her choice to wear a light pink work shirt today, as well as leaving her hair to hang in loose curls over her shoulders, rather than tying it up, really had been a good idea; she was sure that her outfit made her look a little young and innocent, in comparison with Sidney's darker and more stylish choice of work clothes.

Sidney seemed to frown a little when Charlotte greeted him with a polite, "Mr. Parker."

"Miss Heywood," he greeted her in return with a quick nod, before he gestured to the empty seat opposite the desk.

Charlotte took this as an indication that she should sit down. As she took slow, tentative steps into the room and towards the empty seat, Charlotte felt a little nervous again. What was this about? Had she done something wrong? Was she about to get in trouble? Had she made some sort of mistake on one of her latest administrative tasks? Had she spent too much time talking to her new colleagues over the past couple of weeks when she should have been working? Or worse, had Sidney-as Charlotte already suspected-overheard the conversation between Charlotte and Georgiana outside?

"Look," Charlotte couldn't help blurting out, the moment she had sat down, "if this is about the impressions that Georgiana and I were doing of you outside just now…well, that took place outside of working hours, and outside the office building, so it really shouldn't count as-"

"What?" Sidney interrupted her with another frown, his tone sharp.

Charlotte couldn't help widening her eyes a little. Oh, so Sidney hadn't known about that. "What?" she tried responding in return, trying to look innocently confused by his question.

Sidney seemed to pause to stare at Charlotte for a few moments, looking both confused and irritated, but then he seemed to make a silent decision to just let it go.

"Miss Heywood," he repeated, leaning forward a little and placing his hands on Tom's desk. "How are you liking working here, so far?"

Charlotte felt a little confused for a moment by his question, but she decided to just answer honestly. "I like it very much," she replied. "Tom and Mary-Mr. and Mrs Parker, that is-have been very kind to me."

Sidney nodded. "And you're getting along with your colleagues?" he asked, leaning back a little now.

"Yes," Charlotte confirmed. "Georgiana especially seems to have taken me under her wing…"

"Well, she has her moments, I suppose," Sidney replied, although Charlotte didn't really know how to interpret his answer. Was he praising Georgiana, or criticising her?

She now wondered if this was some kind of employee review; perhaps Sidney was checking that she was doing her job properly.

"And…before you came to London?" he suddenly asked her, sounding a little hesitant now.

Charlotte frowned a little. This new question made her doubt that she was simply here for an employee review.

"I lived in a village called Willingden," Charlotte told him, answering with the first thing that came into her head, although, the moment she said it out loud, she felt a little silly, as she wondered if Sidney had really been asking her about her _career_ before she moved to London, rather than where she'd lived.

Sidney seemed satisfied with her answer however, if his nod of the head was anything to go by.

"And you have…family there?" he then asked her.

"Yes," Charlotte replied, still wondering what this meeting was all about. She mentioned her parents, and Alison, and her aunt; she purposely did not mention that Alison had seemed to take a strange interest in Sidney Parker and Charlotte's thoughts about him since Charlotte had written about him in her email to her sister; in Alison's latest email, she had asked several questions about him, demanding to know why Charlotte thought that he was a confusing person.

"And your family…they're all...well?" Sidney asked her, sounding very awkward now. He even winced a little as he asked the question, as though silently berating himself.

"Yes…as far as I know," Charlotte said slowly. She would probably have been amused, in other circumstances, as Sidney Parker's words reminded her so much of something that one of Jane Austen's leading men would say, but right now, she was a little too unsure about what was going on to find the situation amusing.

An awkward silence seemed to descend on the room after Charlotte finished speaking.

Sidney seemed to take this as an indication that the meeting was over. "Very well, that will be all, Miss Heywood," he told her curtly.

Charlotte had to resist the urge to roll her eyes as she got up out of her seat. She felt a little annoyed at how quickly Sidney had just dismissed her.

Georgiana was waiting for Charlotte outside Tom's office. "What was all that about?" she asked Charlotte, the moment Charlotte had closed the office door behind her. She looked as confused as Charlotte felt.

"I have no idea," Charlotte replied.

* * *

Georgiana walked Charlotte upstairs to her office, which Charlotte took as a hint that Georgiana wanted to talk to her about something else.

"I forgot to ask you just before," said Georgiana, the moment the two of them were in Charlotte's office. "I have a party to go to this Saturday. It wouldn't usually be my sort of thing, but it's kind of a family obligation-I have a feeling it'll look bad if I don't at least show my face. Anyway, I was thinking, the whole thing would be a lot more bearable, and a lot less tedious, if you were there with me…"

Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little nervous at this apparent invite to a party. She knew that most girls would be thrilled at the chance to go to a party in London at the weekend with their new friend from work, but still, Charlotte worried that she would be a little out of her depth at any sort of social event that Georgiana attended.

"It won't involve people getting really drunk, or anything, will it?" Charlotte asked Georgiana tentatively, voicing another worry, and hoping that she didn't sound naïve and immature.

She had never really been much of a party girl at university, often preferring to stay in her room at weekends to catch up on her reading of classic novels for her university degree. As much as Charlotte didn't mind the idea of spending time with Georgiana outside of work, the thought of attending some kind of wild party in the city scared her a little.

"Oh no," said Georgiana, sounding a little disappointed, "they're all terribly boring. Sometimes, a few of the guests even bring their _children_ to the party, can you imagine?"

Charlotte started to smile-she thought the idea of young children attending the party was sweet, but she quickly stopped smiling when Georgiana gave her a disapproving look.

"Oh no, not you too," Georgiana sighed, but there was an affectionate tone to her words now.

In the end, Charlotte agreed to go to the party with Georgiana.

"Thank you," said Georgiana, the moment Charlotte told her that she would go. She sounded both happy and relieved that Charlotte would be there with her.

As she started to head out of Charlotte's office, Georgiana promised Charlotte that she would send her the address of the house where the party was going to take place, and she also said that they could make arrangements at some point during the week for a time to meet up and head to the party together.

A little later in the day, Charlotte received a message on her phone from Georgiana. When she glanced at the postcode that Georgiana had just sent her, she realised that the address was for a house not too far from Regent's Park, within the Primrose Hill area of London. Charlotte felt a rush of nerves; this party was clearly going to take place in a rather prestigious neighbourhood in London, and she was worried that she would feel out of place there.

* * *

Later still, Charlotte headed downstairs to her locker, to take a few things out of it before the end of the day.

As soon as she opened the locker door, she saw something in there that definitely hadn't been there before.

With trembling hands, Charlotte reached into her locker and took out a new leather-bound book that seemed to have been intentionally placed in there. A glance at the silver writing on the dark blue front cover told her that this was a copy of _Mansfield Park_.

This book was just as beautiful as the last.

For what felt like a long time, Charlotte stood still and stared at the book in her hands. She wasn't sure how she felt-perhaps it was a mix of shock and surprise and confusion.

How strange, she thought to herself as she held the book a little closer to her body, almost as though she were trying to protect it. Once she could pass off as some kind of accident or mistake, but twice…No, it now definitely seemed as though someone was leaving these books in her locker on purpose...somebody wanted her to have them.

* * *

After that, it turned out to be a strange sort of week.

On Wednesday, Charlotte brought two cups of coffee into Tom and Mary's office in the morning, after having offered to make drinks for them, and, when she stepped into the office, she noticed right away that Tom had spread several pages of what looked like designs and blueprints all over his desk.

"What's all this?" Charlotte couldn't help asking Tom and Mary, overcome with curiosity.

"Ah, well, these are the latest designs for a luxury hotel that we're planning to build in the city," Tom answered right away, sounding as enthusiastic as Charlotte felt.

Apparently sensing Charlotte's enthusiasm, Tom and Mary explained a few of the design blueprints to her, with Tom in particular going into detail about how he imagined the hotel would look, when it was finally built.

"I'm sure it'll be the grandest hotel in London!" Tom declared, as though this new project were a personal passion of his. "If we get all the funding to build it, of course," he added hastily, after he glanced at his wife, who looked a little perplexed about something.

Charlotte left the office worrying all over again that the company was in some sort of financial trouble.

On Thursday, Charlotte headed downstairs during the afternoon to finish a little of her photocopying only to hear the distinct sound of Sidney Parker's voice, coming from Tom and Mary's office.

The door was ajar, and Charlotte strained to hear the conversation over the sounds of the photocopier.

"Perhaps there is something that can be done," she heard Sidney mutter in a low voice. "Another bank loan…Maybe I can negotiate a fairer payback of the last loan…"

Charlotte hurriedly finished her photocopying and crept back upstairs, before she could get caught listening in.

She spent the rest of the afternoon worrying again that the company had run into some very serious debt.

Charlotte's worries about the financial state of the architecture business were also intermingled with her obsessive thoughts over who could possibly have left the books in her locker, and for what purpose.

She made a point of reading a few chapters of _Mansfield Park_ in the staff room during her lunch breaks throughout the week, but nobody approached her to ask about her new book, and nobody admitted to leaving the book in her locker in the first place.

* * *

By Friday evening after work, Charlotte's nerves about attending the party on Saturday were steadily starting to increase, displacing her nerves about other matters-a little, anyway.

Tom had let all the staff leave an hour earlier than usual, and Charlotte knew that she should try to use the extra time productively, but still, as she headed to the local Starbucks after work, a part of her just wanted to stay at the coffee shop and read her new book all evening, without doing much else.

In the end though she decided that she would just get a takeout drink and head back to her flat as soon as possible-she was behind on her housework, and she'd even brought home some paperwork from the office to catch up on over the weekend. She'd fallen behind a little with her work this week, after spending so much time talking to Georgiana about the plans for the upcoming party. Not to mention that Charlotte knew that she really ought to decide what she was going to wear for tomorrow's party, so that she didn't end up panicking last minute about choosing an outfit.

* * *

There weren't too many customers waiting in line at Starbucks, and it wasn't long before Charlotte was placing her order for a takeout cup of tea.

Babington was working behind the counter again, and he'd greeted Charlotte with his usual pleasant smile as she approached. Charlotte was almost tempted to ask him a few questions about Esther, as she was becoming interested in the apparent flirtation between the two of them, and she wondered if they might end up together, but she decided against asking any questions at the last moment-she didn't know Babington very well after all, and perhaps it was a personal matter.

As Charlotte was paying for her drink, she saw Sidney Parker join the line of customers. He was talking on his phone, and there was a very serious expression on his face. Charlotte heard him mumble something about bank loans before he started to talk about arrangements to attend a meeting next week. Charlotte tried not to feel another rush of apprehension at his words.

While Charlotte was waiting by the coffee machine for her drink to be prepared, Sidney ended his call and took a step closer to her, apparently waiting for his own drink as well.

" _Mansfield Park_ ," he muttered, after glancing quickly at Charlotte's book, "perhaps the least popular of all of Austen's works…"

"Well, I really don't know why," Charlotte couldn't resist answering him. "After all, it arguably has the most social commentary to offer…although that social commentary perhaps doesn't go far enough with regards to addressing the not-so-pleasant realities of the time when the novel was set…"

Sidney raised an eyebrow at her, as though silently urging her to go on.

"I'm talking about the social and moral issues at the time, slavery in particular, Mr. Parker," she told him. "The novel only makes one direct reference to this issue, before the subject is quickly changed, and, the reason behind Sir Thomas Bertram's acquisition of wealth in Antigua is only alluded to, after all, rather than dealt with directly…"

"Perhaps Austen trusted her readers enough to infer her negative views of slavery," Sidney offered her as a counterargument. "Much can be worked out from context and indirect statements, after all."

Charlotte didn't want to get into another argument with Sidney Parker, as it seemed that they currently had a captive audience in Babington, but she wasn't so sure that she agreed with his view. It sounded like a clever way of explaining away an avoidance of historical issues.

Perhaps this could be an argument for another time.

Instead, the two of them talked about other key points raised within the story, and they ended up debating the story's main 'romance' while they waited for their drinks to be prepared (Babington seemed to be deliberately taking his time), including the idea of whether Fanny Price perhaps made the wrong choice in accepting Edmund's proposal, and whether Henry and Mary Crawford would perhaps have been better suitors; Sidney even argued that maybe the novel was not intended to focus on love or marriage in the first place.

Charlotte almost wished that she could stay at the coffee shop for a little while longer to continue this discussion with Sidney-she hadn't met very many people who had read and were willing to discuss _Mansfield Park_ -but, as she had already ordered a takeout drink, she knew it would look a bit strange if she suddenly changed her mind and decided to stay; she didn't want Sidney Parker to somehow get the impression that she was staying just to spend more time with him.

Besides, Sidney looked a little distracted this evening, like he had a lot on his mind. He kept glancing down at his phone, and Charlotte suspected that he was waiting for another call.

And so she left the coffee shop the moment she had her takeout cup in her hands.

* * *

Charlotte drank her cup of tea on her journey back to the flat, reading a couple more chapters of _Mansfield Park_ on the journey back, as well as going over her recent conversation about the book with Sidney Parker in her mind.

When Charlotte got back to her flat, she did not end up catching up on her chores or her paperwork, or even end up going through her wardrobe to try to find an outfit to wear for the party. Instead, she opened up her laptop and started to type out a new blog post-a post that her discussion with Sidney Parker had just inspired.

 _Does Jane Austen go far enough in addressing the not-so-pleasant realities of her era?_ Charlotte typed out as a title, before she wrote a short post that referred to a few of the issues raised in _Mansfield Park_ in particular, and then she clicked on the 'submit' button to publish it.

She then somehow spent the rest of the evening arguing with _LostinPemberley_ about _Mansfield Park_ in the comments section of her latest post.

Charlotte frowned as she read a couple of his latest comments. A few of _LostinPemberley_ 's arguments reminded her of the words that Sidney had said to her in the coffee shop earlier.

For the first time, she was starting to feel curious about who _LostinPemberley_ actually was. In a brief pause in their argument, Charlotte clicked on his username, and pulled up a history of some of his past comments on her posts.

She read over one of his longer comments, which he'd written a few months ago in reply to another user asking him about the origin of his username. Charlotte had not noticed this particular comment before. He'd typed out what was almost a detailed essay, explaining about how he'd initially been sceptical about Jane Austen's works, _Pride and Prejudice_ in particular, as it had seemed to have such a huge fanbase based entirely on the popularity of its onscreen adaptations, but then he'd read the book a couple of years ago, and watched a few of the adaptations for himself, and he'd found himself becoming completely engrossed in the story and its themes, to the point where he'd wanted to read it over and over again. He then added that Pemberley had become his metaphorical place to 'get lost in' when he'd been devastated after a break up with his girlfriend, and reality had been a much harsher place to be in than Jane Austen's fictional world.

Charlotte felt a tug of sympathy. She had never experienced a break up from a serious relationship, and so she couldn't relate to what _LostinPemberley_ had been going through at the time, but she knew all too well how it felt to long to escape into Jane Austen's fictional stories when reality became a little too much sometimes.

She didn't have time to ponder this idea too much however, as it wasn't long before she received a notification to let her know that _LostinPemberley_ had left another comment, and Charlotte was soon arguing with him all over again.

In between writing her replies, Charlotte glanced at her phone, opening up her Instagram page to see that both Georgiana and James were out in London tonight. It seemed that their two groups of friends had run into each other in a club, and they had all now teamed up to carry on partying together, documenting the whole thing on social media through various photos and Instagram stories.

As Charlotte looked at a recent photo of James and Georgiana, who were both smiling and posing with drinks in their hands, with several of their friends standing in the background, Charlotte couldn't help wondering if she should be doing the same thing tonight; she wondered if she should _want_ to be dancing in a club with James on a Friday night, instead of arguing with the mysterious _LostinPemberley_ through her laptop while she sat in the living room of her tiny flat.

* * *

Charlotte slept in a little on Saturday morning, no doubt due to staying up late to engage in her online argument with _LostinPemberley_ , which meant that she did indeed end up panicking about what she was going to wear for the party.

In the end, she settled on wearing a black, off-the-shoulder T-shirt, reasonably stylish jeans and dark shoes with a small heel. She still allowed her hair to fall in curls over her shoulders, but she also tried to style it a little. She also accessorised her outfit with earrings and a necklace, and she even decided to apply red lipstick to her lips after she'd applied the rest of her makeup.

When she was dressed, Charlotte surveyed her reflection in the mirror in her room. Her reflection still showed a rather doubtful expression on her face. But then she shrugged, deciding that it would have to do. The outfit was still a little casual, perhaps, but it showed that she'd made an effort to dress up. Besides, she didn't yet have access to a London budget to buy designer clothes.

Charlotte needn't have worried about rushing to get ready however, because Georgiana kept pushing back the time they were due to meet, first claiming that she felt a little worse for wear after a night of partying in London last night, and then telling Charlotte that her boyfriend had come around to visit, and asking Charlotte if she would mind if she spent an hour or so with him before they left for the party.

Charlotte didn't know why Georgiana couldn't just bring her boyfriend with her to the party, and then she started to wonder if he was maybe not invited, for some reason. She then began to realise that Georgiana was probably trying to arrive as late as possible, so she wouldn't have to spend too much time at a party that she didn't particularly want to attend in the first place.

* * *

It was almost evening by the time Charlotte and Georgiana met up near the closest underground station to Primrose Hill.

They walked in the direction of the house where the party would be taking place, with Georgiana talking enthusiastically about her night out in London last night, and telling Charlotte several times that James Stringer had seemed disappointed that she hadn't been there too.

Charlotte listened and made sure to smile and nod at all the right times, but her attention was mostly taken up by the beautiful designs of all the homes and the other buildings they were passing along the way. There were several long streets with rows of Georgian terraced houses, and all of the Regency houses made Charlotte long for days gone by.

The two of them stopped a few times to glance into some of the shop windows. The outfits on display in the windows no doubt cost a fortune. Charlotte stared almost longingly at all the high-heeled shoes that were also on display in the windows. She imagined how pretty some of those shoes would look on her feet at the party this evening, but realistically, she also knew that most of the pairs of shoes would probably cost her several months' wages.

They had just started to walk away from the shop window when Charlotte saw a man with blond hair who was approaching them from the opposite direction. As he got closer, Charlotte recognised him as the man who had been at the coffee shop on her first day at work.

"Georgiana!" the man called out when he was only a few feet away from her. "Looking _gorgeous_!" he said with a leer on his face as he looked Georgiana up and down. "As always, of course," he added with a smirk.

He opened his mouth to say something else-

"Go away, Edward!" Georgiana snapped at him.

It seemed for a moment that Edward wasn't going to follow Georgiana's command, but she looked at him with an expression of such fury that he seemed to decide that it wasn't worth pushing it. He held up his hands in what looked like a gesture of surrender before he kept on walking. There was still a look of amusement on his face as he went though, and he turned around to look at Georgiana and Charlotte one more time before they were out of his sight.

Georgiana kept walking as though nothing had happened, and Charlotte had a feeling that these sorts of exchanges were common between the two of them, along with Edward's unwanted attention.

* * *

Finally, they arrived at the house where the party was taking place. As much as Georgiana didn't seem to want to be there, Charlotte had to admit that the outside of this house was beautiful, with its dark, old fashioned railings that lined the stone steps and the short path to the front door. The front door itself was old-fashioned, with a large brass knocker and letter box in its centre, and two white pillars on either side of it.

Georgiana didn't bother knocking. She simply took hold of the door handle and opened the door, walking inside as though she owned the place before she beckoned for Charlotte to follow her.

Tentatively, Charlotte stepped inside, deciding that this house must belong to a very close family member of Georgiana's, and that was why she wasn't bothering with the usual etiquette for arriving at somebody's home.

The moment Charlotte stepped into the entrance hallway, she was taken aback by how the interior of the house was just as nice as the exterior. The hallway seemed very grand, but it also looked like the homeowner had made an effort to make it look more cozy-more like a home than just a house. The walls and the wooden floors were light in colour, and a dark green houseplant had been placed about halfway down the hallway. A few pictures had also been hung up on the walls, most of them showing paintings related to nature, such as a forest and a beach and what looked like a meadow in the countryside. Charlotte had a feeling however that these soothing-looking paintings were in fact very expensive pieces of artwork.

Charlotte followed Georgiana down the hallway and into the kitchen. The kitchen door was already open, and Charlotte could see that quite a lot of people had already gathered in there, all of them conversing in small groups. The party guests were very smartly and elegantly dressed, and many of them looked like they moved in very exclusive circles in the city.

Georgiana stopped in the doorway, surveying the room as though searching for a friendly face.

Charlotte also took a moment to look around the room from where she was standing in the doorway. The kitchen was large, and the room contained a lot of modern and expensive-looking appliances. Hot and cold food had been laid out on a large kitchen counter, along with plates and cutlery, and a few guests were helping themselves to the food. Most of the guests also held glasses in their hands, and trays of what looked like wine and champagne were being carried around the room by a team of catering staff.

The kitchen was decorated in a similar style to the hallway, with light-coloured walls and flooring, and, as with the hallway, it seemed as though attempts had been made to make the room look more cozy-a few brightly-coloured cushions had been placed on the kitchen chairs, and the paintings on the walls in this room looked more like they had been bought from small art shops and gift shops, rather than expensive art galleries.

Charlotte smiled to herself when she noticed a mug on one of the kitchen counters with the word 'Uncle' written on the front. Charlotte suspected that the homeowner had forgotten to hide this mug before the guests started to arrive. Her eyes were also drawn to the fridge door, where the homeowner had put up what looked like several pictures that had clearly been drawn by children.

"Georgiana! Georgiana!"

Charlotte's attention was drawn away from the pictures on the fridge door by the sight of Arthur Parker, who seemed to be waving frantically at Georgiana as he called her name, like he was beckoning her to go over to him.

What's _Arthur_ doing here? Charlotte thought to herself. It wasn't that she minded-Arthur Parker seemed like a nice person-it was just that she was a little confused…She'd thought that this party was for one of Georgiana's family members; she hadn't realised that other people from work were going to be here. She also noticed Diana Parker, who was standing next to her brother, and seemed to be fussing about the high-calorie food that Arthur had piled up on his plate.

Georgiana seemed to freeze and then take a couple of deep breaths at the sound of Arthur's voice.

Charlotte had the feeling that she was mentally counting to ten. It seemed that Arthur looked far too happy to be there for Georgiana's liking.

Finally, she started to head over towards Arthur and Diana, throwing Charlotte a look over her shoulder as she went; a look which Charlotte interpreted as Georgiana silently begging her to go with her.

Charlotte had the impression that if it had been anyone else, Georgiana would simply have ignored them, but it seemed that Arthur was too nice a person for her to really be rude to.

Arthur and Diana greeted them both warmly as they approached, and Charlotte was grateful at least to be standing with a familiar group of people. She even drank a large glass of wine as she conversed with them.

From where she was standing, she could see the large, glass patio doors that looked out onto a medium-sized garden. The patio doors were currently open, and the garden outside looked almost magical, with trees and flowers and a little stepping-stone style path that led towards a fountain in the middle of the grass. A few guests strolled around the garden, sharing conversations as they sipped their glasses of champagne, while others were sitting on or leaning casually against the garden furniture. Multi-coloured fairy lights had been put up all around the garden, no doubt to help the guests to see each other better out there while they talked, especially now that the sky was turning from light to dark blue.

The conversation with Arthur and Diana was quite interesting for a little while, but Charlotte's mind began to drift away when the two of them started to go into detail about all of their supposed health concerns, which reminded Charlotte of the one-sided conversations that her great aunt typically had with her.

Charlotte made her excuses about feeling hungry, and she drifted towards the food that was on display, feeling a bit guilty about leaving Georgiana with the Parker siblings.

She had just helped herself to some food-making polite small talk with a few of the guests while she ate-when Tom and Mary Parker suddenly walked into the kitchen.

"Charlotte!" Mary greeted her warmly as the Parkers spotted her and walked over to her, both of them looking delighted to see her.

Charlotte smiled at them as they approached, trying her best to hide her surprise at seeing them here; things were getting stranger, now that Mary and Tom were here, too. What was going on? It really seemed like this was some sort of work-related party, rather than a family gathering.

Charlotte managed to say hello to Tom and Mary, and to ask them how they both were, but before she could ask any questions about the party guests or the homeowner, a group of people who turned out to be Tom and Mary's friends suddenly approached them, taking up a lot of Tom and Mary's attention as they started talking to them.

Charlotte listened in to the conversation for a little while-Tom talked about the business, and how it was thriving (Charlotte wasn't sure if this part was true), and he even told his friends about how well Charlotte was doing, as their newest staff member, while Mary talked about how difficult it had been to find a babysitter for the evening-but it wasn't long before Charlotte started to feel a little overwhelmed by the crowd of strangers in the kitchen, and all the conversations that were going on around her about business and finance and fashion and stocks and shares.

She made her excuses and slipped out of the room, heading out of the kitchen through another door and out into another hallway, in search of a quieter room where she could hide away for a few minutes.

* * *

There was a half-open door at the end of the hallway, and Charlotte could see an empty couch in the room, and so she started to walk towards that particular room.

As she walked down the hallway, a painting on display on the wall caught her attention; it showed a large, country house with extensive grounds painted around it, along with a lake. On closer inspection, it almost looked like a painting of Pemberley; it looked very similar to the estate used to film the nineteen-ninety-five adaptation of _Pride and Prejudice_ , unless Charlotte was only imagining things, seeing something that wasn't there...

Charlotte stared at the painting as though transfixed. She could have looked at the painting all night, but in the end she decided that she'd better keep moving; it would probably look a bit strange, if anybody walked past and saw her standing by herself and staring at a painting in the middle of a hallway.

Charlotte took a tentative step into the room with the couch. When she stepped inside, she saw that she was in a small living room. The couch looked very comfortable, with a blanket folded up on top of it, and it was placed opposite a widescreen television that Charlotte was sure must have cost a fortune. There was a small fireplace and mantelpiece in the middle of the room, and several shelves had also been put up around the room. A few classic novels had been placed on the shelves-Charlotte recognised the titles of several of the books that had been on her extensive reading list back at university.

It was a very pretty living room, Charlotte decided. In fact, the whole house really was lovely. She imagined what it would be like to live in a house like this; to read classic books or watch romantic films while sitting comfortably on the couch in this room; to prepare extravagant meals using all of the modern appliances in the kitchen; to sit outside in the garden and listen to the gentle sound of the water running in the fountain; to stroll through the hallways and gaze admiringly at all the paintings, the painting of 'Pemberley' in particular…

Charlotte's daydreaming had the unfortunate consequence of leaving her unaware at first that there was somebody else in the room. It didn't take long however, before her eyes fell upon a very elegant-looking woman who was sitting in an armchair on the other side of the living room.

She was wearing a long, floral dress that was perhaps a little out of place at this party, compared to what the other guests were wearing anyway, but the woman seemed to carry herself so elegantly that she managed to make the outfit work; in fact, she almost looked regal, with her hair pinned up neatly by sparkling hair pins, and with several expensive-looking jewels around her neck. She held a glass of champagne almost delicately in her right hand, and she seemed to sit on the armchair as though it were a throne. It was as though the party had been thrown in her honour. Charlotte almost felt as though she should curtsey.

The woman smiled when she caught Charlotte's eye, but Charlotte couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Charlotte told her with a gasp of surprise. "I didn't realise that this room was already occupied!"

"That's quite all right," the woman told her with another smile and a gentle shake of her head.

"I'll just…" Charlotte muttered, as she gestured in the direction of the living room door.

"Oh, you're welcome to stay," the woman told her. "I only wished to get away from the party for a little while-it was becoming very dull, after all-but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't want to spend some time with a kindred spirit…"

Charlotte didn't really know what to say to that; she settled on nodding and sitting down hesitantly on the couch with what was no doubt a very confused expression on her face.

"Oh no," the woman suddenly said, a slightly guilty look crossing her face now, "you're not going to tell me that you're another relative of the homeowner, are you? If so, then I didn't mean to offend. Perhaps the party is no longer as dull as I first thought…"

"Oh, no," Charlotte rushed to tell her. "Honestly...I'm not even sure who this house belongs to," she confessed with a blush.

The woman raised an eyebrow, looking a little surprised to hear this, and Charlotte expected her to call her out on her faux pas, for attending a high society party in London without even knowing the name of the homeowner at the house where the party was taking place, but she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she let out what sounded like a chuckle of amusement.

"And so, what brings you to this party tonight?" she asked Charlotte, looking genuinely interested to know.

"Well, it was my friend, and work colleague, Georgiana," Charlotte explained. "She invited me, you see; she said she had to go, out of some sort of family obligation…and, well, she asked me to go with her, and I promised her that I would, on the condition that the party wouldn't get too wild or too out of control…" Charlotte babbled, already certain that she sounded ridiculous.

"There's no danger of _that_ happening," the woman muttered into her glass of champagne, looking half-disappointed, and half-amused.

"Anyway," Charlotte continued-sometimes, it was difficult for her to stop, once she got started on something, "it seems that half of my work colleagues are here, and I didn't expect them to be, and the kitchen was so crowded, and I was certain that I would never fit in, among all those glamourous people, and I was starting to get a little overwhelmed, so I decided to find a quiet room…"

The woman nodded in apparent understanding, but then she said, "I see no reason why you would not fit in…you have just as much right to be here as anybody else, after all…"

Charlotte was sure that the woman was just trying to make her feel better, but she appreciated the attempt all the same.

"And who are your other work colleagues? The ones who are at this party?" the woman prompted her.

"Well, there's Tom and Mary Parker, and Arthur and Diana Parker, and no doubt several others, who I haven't yet encountered," Charlotte continued to babble.

"Ah, yes, the Parker siblings!" said the woman, the look of recognition on her face suggesting that she knew them quite well. "I've heard that their brother, Sidney Parker, is quite an interesting character," she added with an almost mischievous grin, lowering her voice as though she and Charlotte were in on some kind of secret. She then made a sweeping gesture around the room, for some reason, as though that would explain everything.

"Well, I find him more…confusing, really," Charlotte couldn't help blurting out, before she could stop herself.

She sort of regretted it, because the woman seemed to pause with her drink held halfway to her mouth, and then she raised an eyebrow, as though Charlotte's words intrigued her.

"How so?" she asked Charlotte as she leaned forward a little in her seat.

Charlotte could tell that she now had this woman's full attention, although she wasn't sure why. Perhaps, she decided, if this woman had already heard various rumours about Sidney Parker, then she was merely interested in the prospect of hearing even more gossip about him.

"Well," said Charlotte with a frown, deciding to answer as honestly as possible, "there are times when he can be cold, and distant, and off-hand, and he often looks at me as though he almost dislikes me…But then there are times when he can be almost kind…like when he buys me tea at Starbucks, or when we have long, detailed conversations about Jane Austen's works. I get the impression that there's so much about him that I don't know yet…"

Charlotte trailed off, not really knowing what else to say.

However, the woman continued to look at Charlotte with an expression of interest on her face. She smiled at her and raised an eyebrow.

Charlotte tried not to frown. She wondered what exactly this woman had interpreted from Charlotte's words.

The woman leaned even further forward in her seat. "Tell me…" she started to say, but she was cut off by the sound of a male voice calling out, "Susan?" from somewhere outside the room in a very regal-sounding accent.

"I think that's my hint to rejoin the party," said the woman with an apologetic-looking smile as she got up gracefully to her feet. "I'd happily stay here to chat about Sidney Parker for longer, but I think people will talk if I'm not seen to be mingling with all the other guests…"

Charlotte nodded, deciding that she too should join the party soon.

The woman paused to stand opposite Charlotte on her way to the living room door.

"It was nice to meet you…?" she trailed off, waiting for Charlotte to tell her her name.

"Charlotte."

"Susan," said the woman, confirming the name that the man outside the room had just called out as she shook Charlotte's hand.

With that, she swept out of the room.

* * *

Charlotte waited for a few minutes before she too stepped out of the living room and into the hallway.

She held her head up high and tried to take confident-looking steps, trying to make it look as though she belonged here, the same as all the other guests.

She got distracted however by the painting of the country estate that looked just like Pemberley. She decided to stop and look at it again for a few more moments.

She was so captivated looking up at the painting that she didn't notice that somebody else had just stepped into the hallway from the kitchen...

"Miss Heywood…?"

The sound of that deep male voice suddenly snapped her back to her senses. She gasped and looked away from the painting.

She turned around a little to look, almost unable to believe it…

But it was true…Sidney Parker was standing opposite her in the hallway.

In other circumstances, Charlotte might have thought that he looked rather handsome, with a few of the top buttons of his smart, white shirt unfastened, as though the party atmosphere had allowed him to relax a little. He even seemed to lean almost casually against the nearest wall, which Charlotte wasn't sure the homeowner would be very happy about, but she was too surprised to see him here, in this house, to think about much else right now.

"Always popping up in unexpected places," she heard Sidney mutter, almost to himself, as he frowned and shook his head.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Charlotte demanded of him.

A look of irritation flashed across Sidney Parker's face. "Well, clearly I came here in the hope of running into you," he said, his expression serious.

"What?" said Charlotte, feeling confused.

"I live here," Sidney told her with her sigh, after looking at Charlotte in silence for a few moments. He spoke slowly, and his tone of voice seemed to imply that she should have been aware of this fact already. "This is my house…"

So, he was being sarcastic just then, when he'd talked about hoping to run into her. Of course.

"Oh," said Charlotte, suddenly processing what he had just said, about this being his home.

She felt her face heat up. Well, that was embarrassing. It seemed that she had just demanded to know what Sidney was doing here…when this was _his_ home in the first place! She must have come across as being really rude. How had she not known that he lived here? Why had Georgiana not told her? To make matters worse, when she thought about it, this house was not too far from Regent's Park. It would make sense, for the park to be a nearby open space where Sidney went to exercise on a regular basis. Did he somehow think that Charlotte had gone to that park on purpose last weekend, with the intention of running into him?

"Well, you have a…nice home," Charlotte told him, trying to sound as dignified as possible.

"Coming from you, that is a compliment indeed," he replied, and Charlotte suspected that he was mocking her, or being sarcastic.

"Georgiana said that she was here for some sort of…family thing," Charlotte told him, not even trying to keep the confusion out of her voice now. She'd almost repeated Georgiana's words and said 'family obligation', but she'd stopped herself at the last second. No doubt Sidney would have taken offense to the word 'obligation'.

"Well, I suppose you could say that," said Sidney. No doubt reading the look of confusion that must have remained on Charlotte's face, he continued: "Our mothers were the best of friends. When Georgiana was barely a teenager, her mother became ill, very suddenly and unexpectedly. Her mother's dying wish was that the Parkers would look out for Georgiana; do our best to help her and guide her. She's almost become like a younger sibling…well, a very annoying younger sibling, anyway," he added, as though unable to help himself.

Charlotte nodded slowly, unsure what to say to this. It seemed that she learned something new every day about the new people in her life. She could only imagine how difficult it must have been for Georgiana, to have lost her mother at a young age.

A tense silence then seemed to pass between Charlotte and Sidney in the hallway.

"Well, I'll just…" Charlotte started to mumble as she gestured awkwardly in the direction of the kitchen door.

She took a few steps down the hallway, walking right past Sidney in the direction of the kitchen…

"Wait, wait, wait!" Sidney suddenly called out to her.

His tone sounded urgent, and a little agitated, and like he didn't want her to leave the hallway just yet.

Charlotte stopped in her tracks and turned back around to face him.

She'd expected that he had something else he wanted to say to her-perhaps he was planning to lecture her on how impolite it was to show up at a party without being aware of who was actually hosting said party-but he looked back at her in silence.

"Well?" Charlotte prompted him after a few more moments, unable to take the awkward silence for much longer.

"Why did you leave Willingden, to come to London?" he asked her. His head was tilted to one side, and the look in his eyes almost suggested that he was trying to study her, to read her.

Charlotte frowned. She hadn't expected him to ask her something like that…not right now, anyway. She also wasn't sure if there was a thinly veiled insult in that question. Was he implying that she should have stayed in Willingden? Was he suggesting that she was not ready for London life?

There didn't seem to be any malice in his tone however, merely curiosity, so Charlotte decided to let it go, for now.

"If you must know," she responded, trying not to think about how strange it was, that he could so easily remember the name of her village, when he had barely remembered Charlotte's name on the day they first met, "I was working at a hotel close to the village, and the hotel had run into a lot of debt. In the end, its debts and its lack of funding meant that it was forced to close."

"I'm sorry," Sidney said simply. At the very least, he looked like he meant it.

Charlotte nodded before she continued, "And, with there being so little work available in the village, I decided to try and find work in a city instead."

Charlotte purposely did not mention that her parents had also run into debts of their own; a few of her father's more recent investments had gone disastrously wrong. She also did not mention that she was starting to recognise a few of her father's behaviours in Tom Parker, at the time when the debts had started to build up, and her father had still been in denial.

"And before you worked at the hotel…?" Sidney asked her, breaking another silence.

"I was at university, in a small town not too far from Willingden," said Charlotte.

"And you studied…?" he asked as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall again.

"English literature," said Charlotte.

"Of course," Sidney mumbled almost under his breath as he looked away from Charlotte.

Charlotte wasn't sure if his reply was a compliment or an insult. She also wasn't sure where this apparent sudden interest in her life had come from. Perhaps he was merely making small talk and being polite, with her technically being a guest in his home this evening, at his party.

"And, in Willingden…" he then started to say, a frown crossing his face as though he was not impressed with himself for voicing whatever he was about to say out loud in the first place. "Was there…? There was nobody who…? You didn't have…? Was there anybody who you…?" After several attempts, he stopped and shook his head, apparently unable to phrase this question, whatever the question was supposed to be.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, feeling completely befuddled. She had no clue what Sidney was trying to ask her. She had never seen him looking so awkward.

"Well, Miss Heywood," he seemed to settle on saying instead, "in spite of the circumstances, Tom and Mary are very lucky to have you working for them."

"Coming from you, that is a compliment indeed," Charlotte couldn't help saying, doing her best to imitate his voice as she threw his own words back at him.

To her amazement, Sidney actually smiled at her comment. It was as though the smile had been a natural reaction that he had been unable to suppress in time.

Charlotte watched him in fascination. She had never seen him smile a real, genuine smile before, and something about his smile…intrigued her.

"Miss Heywood-" Sidney started to say, his voice sounding a little softer now, but then he was cut off by the sound of Crowe's voice, coming from the kitchen.

"Parker!" Charlotte heard Crowe shout, as Sidney winced at the sudden noise. "Wherever you are, get into the kitchen, now! We're doing shots!"

Sidney closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He seemed to be mentally counting to ten, in the way that Georgiana had done before.

"Who invited Crowe?" he mumbled, like he was talking to himself, or thinking out loud. "Now this night will never end…"

He glanced at Charlotte again. "Excuse me," he said to her, with a polite nod of his head, before he turned and started to walk in the direction of the kitchen.

For the first time, Charlotte sensed that he was a little reluctant to end their conversation.

When Sidney entered the kitchen to the sound of loud whoops and cheering, Charlotte took this as a sign that it was perhaps time to leave. She hadn't spent much time at the party, but already she felt as though so much had happened.

* * *

Thankfully, there was another door that led from the hallway, which meant that Charlotte didn't have to go back through the kitchen. She walked through this doorway, hoping that it would lead her back towards the entrance hallway.

The door opened into another living room, although this one looked a little bigger and grander, as though it was used for more formal occasions, or for when there were visitors. Still, attempts had been made to make this room look more comfortable, with a rug placed in the middle of the room, and a few cushions on the chairs. The room was also full of framed photos of the Parker siblings and Tom and Mary's children…Charlotte wished that she had walked into this room when she first arrived; she might have worked out the homeowner's identity a little quicker that way, and saved herself some embarrassment.

Another door on the other side of the living room led Charlotte out into the entrance hallway.

Georgiana was already there, leaning against the banister of the stairs as she talked to a group of people.

"You didn't tell me that this house belonged to Sidney Parker," Charlotte said to Georgiana in a loud whisper as she approached her, raising her eyebrows pointedly at her.

"I'm sorry," said Georgiana, as a look of sudden understanding and realisation crossed her face. "I forget sometimes, that you're only new here, and that you don't already know about all this…"

Charlotte supposed that there was some sort of compliment hidden in Georgiana's words.

Georgiana looked a little reluctant to leave, especially when Charlotte told her that Crowe had showed up to liven up the party, but, perhaps feeling guilty about forgetting to mention that the two of them would be attending a party at Sidney's house, Georgiana agreed to leave the party with her.

When Charlotte and Georgiana stepped outside the house, with Georgiana already talking on her phone to her mysterious boyfriend, Charlotte saw that Susan was also leaving the party.

She stepped out of the house surrounded by what looked like an entourage of people, as though she were a celebrity or a politician or even royalty who required constant protection.

"Goodbye, Charlotte," Susan said to her with a smile as she passed her on the pavement. She stopped to kiss Charlotte on both cheeks. "I'm sure we'll meet again."

With that, she almost seemed to vanish into the night.

* * *

Charlotte had expected to feel tired by the time she finally opened the front door and stepped inside her flat, but after the evening's events, she still felt wide awake.

She tried to relax herself by changing into more comfortable clothes and making herself a cup of tea, but still she felt a little unsettled as she sat down on the couch.

She took her phone out of her pocket and glanced at her Instagram page. She had a new notification…Sidney Parker had apparently liked another of her photos in the ten minutes since Charlotte had last glanced at her phone on the Tube; it turned out to be another one of Charlotte's original drawings of some of the characters in Jane Austen's novels.

Charlotte frowned at the picture on her phone; it seemed that Sidney had for some reason taken the time to look at her Instagram page this evening; Crowe and his arrival at the party apparently hadn't been distraction enough for Sidney.

She also considered the possibility that he was trying to mock her by only liking her Jane Austen-themed photos…either that, or he perhaps did not dislike Jane Austen's works as much as Charlotte had at first assumed he did.

Feeling a little emboldened by her glass of wine earlier, Charlotte made a decision about something. Quickly, before she could stop herself or talk herself out of it, she sent a follower request to Sidney Parker.

Deep down, she expected Sidney to ignore this request completely, but, in a matter of minutes, she received a notification to let her know that Sidney Parker had accepted her request.

Charlotte might have stared at her phone screen in surprise for a few moments, trying to process this new turn of events, but in the end, she gave in to curiosity and started to look at Sidney Parker's photos.

Sidney had posted a lot of photos of his siblings, and Charlotte could tell that they were a close family. He had even posted several photos of him and Georgiana.

There were many photos of Sidney with Tom and Mary's three children. His latest photo showed him attempting to carry all three children at once, with Tom and Mary's daughters in his arms, and their son balancing on his shoulders. Sidney smiled for the camera, looking happier and more relaxed than Charlotte had ever seen him look.

 _They love their Uncle Sidney!_ Mary Parker had written as a comment underneath the photo, along with a few hearts and smiley faces. Sidney had liked her comment.

There were also a lot of photos that showed forests and hilltops and beaches, and Charlotte guessed that Sidney liked walking, out in nature.

As Charlotte looked at a photo of Sidney standing with his arms around Tom and Arthur, all three brothers smiling for the camera, Charlotte felt like she was seeing a side of Sidney that she had not seen before.

She then looked at several photos that Sidney had taken with his friends, Crowe and Babington. In most of these photos, the men seemed to be in various bars and clubs, posing with drinks in their hands as several scantily clad women stood in the background of the photos. All of these women looked beautiful, like models, and Charlotte could only imagine what the three men got up to on their nights out in London. She wasn't sure why the idea of Sidney flirting with attractive women in exclusive clubs in London made her feel a little uneasy.

Charlotte scrolled through more photos, until she arrived at some of Sidney's earlier photos. A pretty woman with blonde hair appeared in a lot of these earlier photos. She smiled at Sidney in almost every photo, a look of adoration on her face, and Sidney seemed to look back at her with a matching expression.

Of course, she had to be a girlfriend of Sidney's, Charlotte realised. There were pictures of the two of them on romantic-looking holidays in various European cities-Paris and Rome and Venice-as well as photos of the two of them in New York City.

This woman was very glamourous, Charlotte thought. In Sidney's photos, she was dressed in the sort of clothes that had been on display in the shop windows near Regent's Park. She was just the sort of woman who Charlotte could picture as Sidney's ideal girlfriend. She looked and dressed nothing like Charlotte. Charlotte wasn't sure why that idea should even matter so much.

Charlotte noticed something else-this blonde woman featured in almost all of Sidney's photos, up until almost exactly two years ago, where there was one last photo of the couple posing together at a restaurant in London, the two of them looking rather tense in that particular photo.

After that, the woman did not appear again in any of Sidney's photos.


	4. Chapter 4

For the first time since her first day at work in London, Charlotte felt a bit nervous as she headed into work on the Monday morning after the party at the weekend.

She still felt a little embarrassed about inadvertently going to a party at Sidney Parker's house without even knowing that he was the homeowner, and then running into him by chance in the hallway. Charlotte felt as though some sort of invisible line between her work and her personal life had now fully been crossed.

In fact, Charlotte hadn't been able to think of much else besides the party all day yesterday, in spite of trying to distract herself by taking a walk in the park early on Sunday morning, and catching up on her paperwork in the afternoon, and then doing some writing for her blog in the evening.

She had replayed her conversations with both Sidney Parker and the mysterious Susan over and over in her mind throughout the day, but still she felt as confused as ever.

When Charlotte walked through the architecture company's front door and headed into the staff room however, she soon realised that she needn't have worried so much.

Georgiana was already sitting in there, on one of the seats that was positioned against the wall, and as soon as she saw Charlotte, she started to apologise all over again for forgetting to mention to Charlotte last week that they would be attending a party at Sidney Parker's house.

Charlotte realised however that she didn't need to hear Georgiana apologise again. She had seemed genuinely sorry on Saturday, and Charlotte really did think that it had been some sort of oversight on Georgiana's part, rather than a deliberate attempt to trick Charlotte into attending Sidney's party with her.

They'd only been talking about a few of the other guests who'd attended the party for a few minutes when Tom and Mary bustled into the room.

"Ah! Georgiana! Charlotte!" Tom greeted them. "Wonderful to see you both at Sidney's party on Saturday! Of course, we're like one big happy family here, both inside and outside of work!" he declared, while Mary nodded in agreement.

Charlotte smiled at Tom, while at the same time doing her best not to make it obvious that she was glancing at Georgiana out of the corner of her eye, because Georgiana was currently leaning her head against the wall behind her seat in response to Tom's words, her eyes closed as she seemed to sigh in exasperation several times.

Still, in spite of Georgiana's not-so-enthusiastic reaction, Charlotte couldn't help feeling relieved that neither Tom nor Mary seemed to have had any sort of problem with Charlotte being a part of their social lives outside of the office building.

"The party seemed to be a success, anyway," Tom continued as Mary prepared a large pot of coffee for them all to help themselves to before they headed to their offices. "Sidney invited a few well-connected friends…he was hoping to help procure a few wealthy backers for-" he suddenly stopped himself from saying anymore at a glance from his wife. "Well, perhaps that's a discussion for another time," he added hastily, ignoring the fact that he now seemed to have Georgiana's full attention, "we'd best be getting on…"

With that, he and Mary left the staff room.

It seemed as though Georgiana had a few sarcastic comments she wanted to make about what Tom had just said, but she was prevented from doing so when James Stringer walked into the staff room a few moments after Tom and Mary had left.

"I've been put on the new team to help supervise the construction of the hotel!" he announced to Charlotte and Georgiana as he walked into the room with a huge grin on his face, looking very happy with himself. "This new role has got to have prospects this time, I just know it!"

"James, that's excellent news!" Charlotte told him with a smile. She wasn't sure where exactly this new project would lead for James Stringer, but he looked so happy that she felt happy for him in return.

"You'll be promoted soon, James, I can just feel it!" Georgiana declared confidently after she too had offered James Stringer her congratulations. "Just think," she continued, "by Christmas, you, me and Charlotte could all have been promoted…then we'll show them how things should be done around here!"

"Georgiana," Charlotte tried to remind her gently but firmly, "I'm only here on a temporary contract; I have no guarantee that I'll even be here by the end of summer…"

Charlotte wasn't sure how she felt about this idea. She'd barely even given her lack of a permanent contract much thought at first-she'd been so focused on getting used to life in London and making a good impression and trying to do her job well, but now that she'd said it out loud, it was like a reminder to herself as well as Georgiana that she had no promise of a long-term role here; by Christmas, her adventure in London might be long over; she could be back in Willingden, living her old life. This thought did not make Charlotte feel relieved in the way that it would have done only three weeks ago.

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Georgiana declared in response to Charlotte's doubt-filled words, with a confidence that Charlotte only wished she could possess.

Georgiana's bold declarations were interrupted by the sound of voices coming from the hallway just outside the staff room. Charlotte could hear the distinct sound of Sidney's Parker's voice, along with two female voices.

She suddenly felt a little tense at the sound of Sidney's voice, and her heart started to beat a little faster. She found herself worrying all over again about what he thought of her decision to attend the party on Saturday, and whether he had initially been annoyed at running into her in the hallway. But then she shook her head, trying to get rid of that thought-it seemed that Sidney Parker had plenty of people in his life who were vying for his time and his attention; perhaps he had barely even given Charlotte's presence at the party a second thought.

The two women in the hallway sounded rather giggly and excitable; they were both talking about how happy they were to see Sidney, while Sidney's tone of voice as he responded suggested that the feeling wasn't exactly mutual.

"Julia and Phillida Beaufort," said Georgiana with a sigh, without even looking outside the room for confirmation. "They're part of the finance team at another branch of the architecture company," she then explained to Charlotte. "Tom must have arranged to meet with them today. They've always been strangely enchanted with Sidney," she added at the sound of more giggling from the hallway, with a hint of distaste in her voice. "Honestly, I don't know what all these women see in him," she finished with a roll of her eyes.

"Me neither," said James, with a slightly irritated tone to his voice that Charlotte hadn't heard before. It was as though his words were meant as more than just a polite agreement with his friend.

"Me neither," Charlotte finally said, after she noticed James staring at her almost expectantly, waiting for some kind of response; perhaps he'd been waiting and hoping for Charlotte to agree with him. He certainly looked relieved at Charlotte's answer.

Charlotte wondered to herself why she had even hesitated in the first place in agreeing with what Georgiana and James had said about Sidney Parker.

* * *

At nine o'clock, the three of them started to head out of the staff room to start their day's work.

"What with James's promotion looking more and more likely, and Charlotte's one-month anniversary at the company coming up, we should do something this weekend to celebrate," Georgiana said as the three of them walked up the stairs together. "We could just go for dinner at a restaurant," she added hastily, perhaps sensing that Charlotte would not agree to a night of partying with her and James. "A group of us can go. I'm sure Fred will want to go, James, and I want you all to meet my boyfriend, Otis…I know the perfect place…I'll ask Otis to meet us there…"

It seemed that the plan had been decided upon. Charlotte decided that she might as well just go and enjoy herself; it wasn't as though she'd made any other plans for the weekend yet, and she was yet to try any of London's restaurants. She would worry about the possible price of the restaurant food later in the week.

She thought about what Georgiana had just said, about celebrating her one-month work anniversary. She could hardly believe that she'd been at the company for almost a month already.

* * *

By lunchtime, Georgiana had decided that they were going to go to The Ivy for Saturday's meal.

Charlotte was unable to stop her eyes from widening in shock and apprehension at this announcement. She had expected that the food would be expensive wherever they went in the city, but surely The Ivy, one of the more exclusive restaurants that she knew of in the city, would be more expensive than most places?

She was grateful to see what looked like a matching expression of mingled surprise and worry from James from across the table that the three of them were sitting at in the staff room. Charlotte guessed that he too was worried about the no doubt high price of going for an evening meal at The Ivy.

"Don't worry, I'll pay," said Georgiana, as she looked from Charlotte to James.

"Georgiana, you don't have to do that," said Charlotte in a whisper, trying to keep her tone of voice firm, insistent, while also trying to hide her embarrassment.

Charlotte felt the same sort of discomfort that she'd felt when Sidney Parker had bought drinks for her at Starbucks; she worried that Georgiana would feel obliged to pay for Saturday night's dinner due to the fact that Charlotte had less money than she did…a dinner that would no doubt cost Georgiana a small fortune.

James looked equally embarrassed at Georgiana's offer.

"I insist," said Georgiana. "I invited you all, and I chose The Ivy in the first place, and I really want you to meet Otis. I honestly don't mind," she added, as she took in the expressions that remained on Charlotte and James's faces. "If it makes you feel any better, the two of you and Fred can buy all the drinks."

Her firm tone of voice suggested that the matter was now closed and no longer up for discussion.

* * *

When she returned to her office after lunch, Charlotte wondered how Georgiana could so easily pay for five meals at The Ivy, when she was earning the same wage as everybody else on the company's finance team…but then Charlotte started to suspect that there was more to Georgiana than she already knew, and it seemed at least likely that Georgiana had another source of income-perhaps some kind of inheritance.

Charlotte was almost tempted to type Georgiana's name into an Internet search engine to see if she could find out more about her, in the same way that she had typed the name 'Babington' into a search engine after Sidney had revealed more to her about him, but Charlotte decided that this wouldn't be a good idea; Georgiana was her friend, and so it would feel too much like prying. Georgiana would tell her more about herself when she was ready.

* * *

After that, the week seemed to pass by very quickly.

Charlotte was mostly occupied with her work tasks, inputting what seemed like endless data onto various spreadsheets, and also beginning to send emails on Tom and Mary's behalf regarding a company fundraiser that they were planning on holding in a few weeks' time.

A couple of things did happen though that were a little out of the ordinary...

On Tuesday morning, Charlotte arrived early at work to discover that yet another leather-bound copy of a Jane Austen novel had been left in her locker. This time, it was a copy of _Emma_.

Charlotte stared at the beautiful pink, lilac and white floral designs on the dark front cover in awe for a few moments before she thought to glance over her shoulder to see if anyone else was around, but there didn't seem to be anybody in the hallway at that moment.

The door to Tom's office was closed, and Charlotte could hear a few voices talking quietly inside the office, like some kind of meeting was taking place, but she couldn't tell for sure who was in there.

She looked back at her new book. There was no denying anymore that these books were deliberately being left in her locker for her-after all, Charlotte didn't know of any other Jane Austen fans who worked at the company-but _why_ would anyone at work want to do this for her in the first place?

On Thursday, Tom let all the staff leave work a little early. Charlotte had originally planned to head straight back to her flat, but when Mary mentioned something about heading to the local shops to pick up some company supplies, Charlotte volunteered to go with her.

"Charlotte, you don't have to do that," Mary told her gently, looking very guilty at the idea of Charlotte giving up any of her unexpected free time.

"Oh, I really don't mind," Charlotte insisted. She didn't have much else to do for the rest of the evening, and Mary was always so kind to her at work. She wanted to do something to help out, and it would be nice to have someone to talk to for the evening.

It turned out to be a nice evening. First, they went to a local stationary shop and then to a supermarket to pick up the office supplies for the company, and several items of food and drink for the staff room, talking the whole time about Charlotte's first few weeks of working at the architecture company.

They then walked past several clothes and shoe shops on the way back to Mary's car.

"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to have a look inside," Mary muttered to Charlotte with a smile when she caught Charlotte looking almost longingly at a pair of designer shoes in a shop window.

They ended up looking around several more shops while they talked about Sidney's party last weekend, and all the other places that Charlotte had already visited in London.

"Have any of the sights in particular caught your eye?" Mary asked her.

The question was innocent enough, and Charlotte therefore had no idea why a sudden image of a shirtless Sidney Parker in Regent's Park flashed into her mind. She tried not to blush as she attempted to come up with some sort of answer about London's attractions.

After they'd finished shopping, Mary started to say that Charlotte must be getting hungry, and the two of them decided to get something to eat at a small, local organic restaurant.

Charlotte found that Mary Parker was easy to talk to. As they ate their food, Charlotte told her all about her life in Willingden, and some of the fun moments she'd had there with her sister Alison, as well as telling Mary several stories about all the young children who she used to babysit for in the village, and how she missed them all.

Mary then talked a little about her three children, smiling the whole time like a very proud parent.

"It's nice to have someone to talk to," Mary told Charlotte with a smile as they paid the bill.

Charlotte couldn't help thinking that between the pressures of work and looking after her young children, Mary didn't have very much time at the moment to spend with friends.

By the end of the evening, Mary had invited Charlotte for lunch at her home on Sunday afternoon with Tom and the children.

Charlotte was looking forward to it. It would be nice to meet the children after hearing so much about them, and spending a Sunday afternoon with them would remind her of her Sundays back home in Willingden.

* * *

All in all, Charlotte's fourth week at work had been rather enjoyable, but still Charlotte was happy at the idea of two days away from the office by the time Friday evening arrived.

At five o'clock, she walked her usual route to the local Starbucks, down the road from the company building. This action had almost become a habit now on Friday evenings, and Charlotte barely even had to think about where she was going anymore.

She carried her copy of _Emma_ in her bag. She'd been trying to read as much of it as she could through the week, as well as finishing the final chapters of _Mansfield Park_ , reading during her breaks and through a couple of lunch hours, as well as in the evenings in her flat before she went to bed, and she was planning on reading a few more chapters at the coffee shop this evening.

Charlotte always found that her Friday evenings spent at the coffee shop enabled her to unwind after a week at work, helping to clear her head before the weekend.

Her typical leisurely stroll towards the coffee shop was interrupted however when she heard the sound of loud, angry voices coming from a small side road just around the corner from the coffee shop.

Charlotte would have kept walking, but she was sure that she recognised those voices…

"Esther, please, it meant nothing…" she heard a male voice shouting.

"It always means 'nothing' to you, Edward! Just like _I_ mean nothing to you!" she heard a woman shout back, a tone of obvious distress in her voice, mixed in with her anger. "Your scheming always leaves us in such a mess!"

"Schemes that you were once very happy to play a part in, Esther!"

Trying to be discreet, Charlotte crept to the end of the road and peered around the nearest wall.

She saw Esther and Edward standing a few feet apart from each other near a few office buildings, with only a parked car between them. They were both shouting at one other.

Esther looked very upset, while Edward's exaggerated gestures and facial expressions suggested that he was not truly as devastated as Esther was.

"You know _nothing_ about love, or friendship, or family," Esther accused him. "You're selfish, just like Clara. In fact, the two of you deserve each other."

With that, Esther turned on her heel and started to take rapid steps away from Edward.

"Esther, please!" Edward called out to her several times, his arms held out wide in a pleading gesture. "You know I only thought about us, and our future!"

Esther kept walking.

Hurriedly, Charlotte darted back around the corner, trying to hide herself from view before Edward could turn around and notice that she had been there, listening in to the argument.

What was all that about? Charlotte thought to herself as she walked back in the direction of the coffee shop.

There was obviously some kind of history, or some kind of drama, going on between Esther, Edward and Clara that Charlotte was not aware of. She had sensed that there was a kind of tension between the three of them on her first visit to the coffee job. She wondered if Edward had played one woman off against the other in some sort of strange love triangle. Georgiana was probably wise to be so keen on rejecting Edward's attentions.

* * *

Charlotte was more than a little preoccupied by the time she entered the coffee shop and joined the line of customers.

She wondered if she should have gone after Esther, or tried to intervene somehow in the argument. But then she decided that it wouldn't have been her place-she barely knew Edward or Esther after all; in fact, Charlotte had never even had a conversation with either of them, and so she couldn't be seen to be meddling in what was obviously a private matter.

Trying to distract herself from these thoughts, Charlotte took her book out of her bag and started reading as the line of customers moved slowly along. She only glanced up briefly to place her order. Babington did not appear to be working at the coffee shop today, and so Charlotte gave her order to the stranger behind the counter, deciding on an Emperor's Clouds and Mist green tea from the drinks menu this time, for a little variety.

She started reading again as she took a couple of slow steps towards the drinks machine to wait for her tea to be prepared. She was so engrossed in her book that she almost walked right into a man who was waiting by the drinks machine.

"I'm sorr-" Charlotte started to apologise as she looked up from the pages of her book. She paused however when she realised that she'd almost walked headlong into Sidney Parker, who was currently standing and watching her with a raised eyebrow.

Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. She had not seen Sidney Parker face-to-face since their encounter in the hallway at his house last weekend. She still had no idea how he'd felt about her being in his house when he hadn't directly invited her, strolling through the hallways and looking at the paintings on his walls. Not to mention that he had allowed her to follow him on Instagram, which meant that Charlotte now had access to yet another part of his personal life. What did he think about that? Did he even think of her at all? Why did it matter?

With all of these thoughts already circling around her mind all week, Charlotte would have liked to have encountered Sidney Parker in slightly less embarrassing circumstances.

"Miss Heywood," he greeted her with a polite nod of his head, apparently choosing to ignore the fact that Charlotte had almost walked right into him. He was dressed casually this evening, in a black T-shirt and jeans. Charlotte couldn't help thinking about how everything he wore always seemed to be the perfect fit on him.

"Mr. Parker," Charlotte greeted him in return, trying to straighten up and hold her head high and not somehow make it obvious by the guilty look on her face that she had looked at so many photos of Sidney on Instagram, including photos of Sidney and his ex-girlfriend, after the party on Saturday night. What would he think, if he knew that she had looked at his old photos? Would he even care?

An awkward sort of silence passed between them as they both waited for their drinks.

Charlotte glanced to her left to see that Crowe was sitting at a table not too far from the counter, apparently waiting for his friend to join him. Charlotte saw Crowe reach into the inside pocket of his jacket and take out a small silver flask, pouring a little of the liquid it contained into his cup of coffee when he thought that nobody was looking.

She also saw Sidney glance down at her book a couple of times, with what looked like an expression of both interest and amusement.

Babington arrived at the coffee shop while they were still waiting by the drinks machine. He was dressed very smartly in an elegant suit; it seemed that he was off duty from his work at the coffee shop this evening. Charlotte guessed that he had just come from an important business meeting, and he certainly looked the part.

His smart attire seemed to attract the attention and the amusement of his friends. He walked into the room to plenty of jeering and laughter and mockery from Crowe, and a few smirks from Sidney.

Babington however seemed to take his friends' good-natured teasing in his stride; he shrugged and grinned as he went to sit down at the table with Crowe. Charlotte had a feeling that he was used to his friends' behaviour.

Charlotte was almost glad when her drink was finally ready. Sidney gave her a quick nod as she started to walk away from him, before he glanced down at her book one more time.

Charlotte tried her best to find a table that was positioned reasonably far away from Sidney, Crowe and Babington's table, as she had a feeling that they were probably going to be rather loud now that the three men were here all together for the evening, especially if Crowe was going to keep adding what looked like strong alcohol from his silver flask to his coffee, and Charlotte really wanted to read at least one more chapter of her book before she left the coffee shop.

Unfortunately, the only table available was only a short distance away from the three men. With a sigh, Charlotte headed over to the table, resigning herself to having to sit there. She deliberately sat down with her back to the three men however, as she did not want to make it look as though she was interested in eavesdropping on their conversation.

As Charlotte read her book, the conversation going on at the table behind her seemed to be quite lively. There was plenty of banter between the three men, along with several sarcastic comments. Charlotte imagined that this was how the three of them acted on their typical evenings in London, when they were away from the watchful eyes of work colleagues or family members. It seemed that Sidney was not as reserved around his friends as he was when he was alone with Charlotte.

At one point, Crowe started to get a little explicit when talking about a few attractive women from his recent past, but he was quickly silenced by a sharp, "Enough, Crowe," from Sidney.

Charlotte couldn't help wondering if Sidney was all-too-aware of the fact that she could overhear their conversation from her table, and perhaps that was the reason why he hadn't wanted Crowe to take things too far with their banter about women.

Crowe sighed in reaction to Sidney's words, but he quickly changed the subject. Charlotte suspected that Sidney was one of the few people who he actually listened to.

Charlotte was distracted again from her reading when Esther walked through the coffee shop door. She seemed to be trying her best to put on a brave face, but Charlotte could see that her eyes looked a little red, and she suspected that Esther had been crying.

She went and sat by herself at an empty table in the far corner of the room, barely even glancing around the room as she went.

Her choice of table and her body language gave the distinct impression that she wanted to be left alone right now, but one of the male customers at the coffee shop didn't seem to get the hint. He started to head towards Esther's table, a flirtatious grin on his face.

"Don't!" Esther snapped at the man, the moment he started to move close to her, holding out her hand to emphasise her point.

The man looked annoyed, but he soon turned around and walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Esther alone.

Babington seemed to have become completely distracted by Esther's arrival at the coffee shop and the obvious look of distress on her face.

He mumbled a few concerned-sounding words to his friends, and he kept glancing in Esther's direction, but it seemed he was reluctant to go over to her when she clearly wanted to be left alone.

In the end, he got up and discreetly asked one of the female baristas to have a coffee sent over to Esther's table.

Esther seemed to know who had sent the drink over to her, however. She briefly glanced up and looked in Babington's direction, just about managing to nod at him in acknowledgement.

Esther didn't stay for very long; just long enough to finish her drink and make a quick phone call before she got up to leave. She seemed to make a point of deliberately walking past Babington on her way out.

"You're not so bad, Babington," Charlotte heard Esther mutter, before she walked out of the coffee shop.

Charlotte discreetly glanced over her shoulder to see that Babington was grinning as though Esther had just given him the highest praise, a reaction which invited a lot of gentle mockery from his friends, Crowe in particular.

When Babington returned his focus to his friends again, Crowe quickly engaged him in a conversation about a party that the two of them had attended a couple of weeks ago.

As the two men talked, Charlotte suddenly became very aware of the fact that Sidney seemed to be leaning back a little in his seat, as though he wanted to say something to Charlotte.

"Your thoughts, Miss Heywood?" he asked her the moment Charlotte turned her head a little to look at him.

As Charlotte frowned, Sidney nodded pointedly at her book, as though to signal that this was what he wanted to hear her thoughts on.

It took Charlotte a few moments to get over her sense of disbelief that Sidney Parker was prepared to miss out on some of the conversation with his friends to hear her thoughts on a Jane Austen novel. She wondered if he was maybe only joking, pretending to want to hear her thoughts on _Emma_. But the expression on Sidney's face was very serious…

"Well, _Emma_ is a story of narrative misdirection…" Charlotte started to explain a little tentatively, still watching the expression on Sidney's face to see if he really was going to listen to what she had to say.

Sidney raised an eyebrow, then he nodded as though she should go on.

"That's to say," said Charlotte, "that Jane Austen employed the clever techniques of using an unreliable narrator, and presenting the story through the eyes of a protagonist who has a limited and often inaccurate understanding of the people around her. The reader is therefore often wrongly led to believe that Emma's interpretations are being presented as truth and facts, only to find out later in the novel that this is not really the case…"

Charlotte trailed off, wondering if she had managed to explain her meaning in as detailed and accurate a way as many of her previous university lectures would have done.

"Well said," Sidney responded. Charlotte wasn't sure if he was being serious or sarcastic. "And here I was, about to say that the story simply focuses on a self-centred character who is incapable of understanding the plight of the people around her…"

With that, he sat forward in his seat, joining in with Babington and Crowe's conversation the moment they tried to include him in it.

It took Charlotte a few moments to get over her shock at the rather disparaging description that Sidney had just given of Emma as a character, and then she started to feel a little annoyed.

The moment there was a lull in the conversation between the three men, Charlotte leaned back in her seat, so that Sidney could hear her clearly.

"You can't honestly mean that," she told him in a furious-sounding whisper, "about one of Jane Austen's most popular novels simply portraying a selfish and incapable character…"

Sidney seemed to make a big show of looking pleasantly baffled by the sudden interruption, as though he had done nothing to provoke it, which only caused Charlotte to glare at him, but then Charlotte noticed that he smirked a little, and she started to suspect that he had come out with a critical statement about _Emma_ on purpose, in order to annoy Charlotte and provoke a reaction from her so she would pay attention to him in front of his friends; she had fallen for it yet again.

"If you say so," Sidney responded cryptically to Charlotte's statement.

With an irritated sigh, Charlotte leaned forward in her seat again, closer to her own table and further away from Sidney.

It was only a matter of minutes though before Sidney leaned back in _his_ seat to talk to her again. "Which character most invited _your_ contempt in the novel, Miss Heywood?" he asked her. His tone of voice was a little sharp, but Charlotte also got the impression that he was interested to hear her answer. "Was it Frank Churchill, perhaps?"

Charlotte couldn't resist launching into a detailed explanation about how she viewed Frank Churchill's character almost as a plot device to emphasise the narrative misdirection within the text, while Sidney watched her from over his shoulder with an expression almost of amusement on his face.

Again Sidney quickly leaned forward in his seat when Crowe asked him about his plans for the weekend.

A few minutes later, when Crowe was distracted talking to Babington again, Charlotte leaned back in her seat…

"If you must know," she said to Sidney, "Mr. Elton was the character who irritated me the most…"

She was rewarded with one of Sidney Parker's rare smiles at this comment. For a few moments, he looked genuinely amused.

They ended up debating back and forth in this way for at least half an hour, leaning back in their seats to talk to one another whenever Sidney was not included in Crowe and Babington's conversations.

They discussed several of the other characters in the novel, at one point debating over whether Emma's father was too over-protective of her, and then discussing the merits and possible faults of the character Mr. Knightley.

If Sidney's friends thought that any of this was odd, then they were doing their best not to show it. Perhaps Sidney entered into discussions like these with women in coffee shops on a regular basis.

Charlotte was certain however that the two of them must have looked almost comical to the other customers in the coffee shop, sitting back to back and leaning back in their seats every few minutes to carry out their conversations with one another. A part of her wished that they were alone at a table in the coffee shop, so that they could discuss the finer points of the novel in more detail.

When Crowe started bragging about his recent flirtations with Clara, Sidney got up to go and order another coffee. He soon came back to his table with a tray of hot drinks.

Charlotte, who had since returned to reading her book, was more than a little surprised when Sidney placed a cup of tea on the table in front of her-she had assumed that he'd only gone to get drinks for himself and perhaps his friends.

She frowned as she examined her cup; Sidney had brought her the exact same brand of green tea that she had first ordered when she'd arrived.

This time, the gesture did not escape Crowe and Babington's notice. They laughed and whispered to one another like schoolboys for a few moments before suddenly going quiet the moment Sidney sat back down in his seat. Charlotte had a feeling that a sharp glance from Sidney had just silenced them.

Sidney returned to talking to his friends for a few minutes, with Crowe and Babington drinking the coffees that Sidney had ordered for them.

It wasn't long however before he was back to discussing _Emma_ with Charlotte again.

Charlotte couldn't help talking about how much she had adored the eventual romance between Emma and Mr. Knightley.

Predictably, Sidney rolled his eyes at her words, although he did ask her several more questions about this romance, as though to try to find out why she was such a fan of that particular pairing.

"I think that there's something romantic about two characters balancing one another out," Charlotte told him, trying not to be put off by the slightly judgemental look on Sidney's face, "with their apparent conflicts eventually uniting them. Especially two characters who have perhaps not realised at first that they are well suited to one another in a romantic sense, in spite of their contrasting opinions…"

Sidney rolled his eyes again before he leaned forward to talk to his friends, but this time, Charlotte suspected, from the almost impressed expression on his face that followed his immediate reaction, he was simply doing his best to hide the fact that he agreed with Charlotte's evaluation of that particular romance.

After an hour had passed, Charlotte decided that she should probably head back to her flat soon. She had a busy weekend ahead, and she wanted to be prepared, and catch up with a little work in advance.

She finished her drink and put on her jacket and put her book away in her bag.

There was just one more question that Charlotte really wanted to know the answer to before she left; a nagging doubt that had been on her mind since the start of her discussion with Sidney…

"Is that how you think of me?" she asked him in a quiet voice. "Someone who is self-centred and...incapable of understanding the plight of those around me?"

At Sidney's confused-looking frown, she elaborated: "All those things you said about Emma Woodhouse before…was that one of your not-so-subtle ways of indirectly insulting me?"

Sidney went silent for a few long moments, his typical irritated look crossing his face. Charlotte almost expected him to get angry and say something insulting to her, but his answer, or more accurately his question, only confused her: "At what point," he asked her with a sigh, "did you jump to the conclusion that it was _you_ who I was criticising in that particular character evaluation? Perhaps it was aimed at somebody else entirely, Miss Heywood..."

* * *

When Charlotte returned to her flat on Friday evening, she quickly made herself something to eat, and then she ended up re-watching some of the episodes of the mini series of _Emma_ ; an adaptation that she'd first watched a few years ago.

She tried to concentrate on the scenes playing on the screen in front of her, so that she would not be tempted to go over her recent conversation with Sidney Parker at the coffee shop in her mind.

As distracted as she was by her own thoughts, Charlotte couldn't help smiling as she watched the scenes at the ball, where it was becoming obvious to the viewer that Emma's feelings for Mr. Knightley were perhaps more than platonic, even though Emma didn't seem to realise it just yet.

A little later, Charlotte smiled all over again at the scene where Mr. Knightley remembered the ball, his memory focused mainly on Emma; here, his true feelings for Emma were finally revealed to the viewer.

It wasn't long before Charlotte had spread out a blank piece of paper on the small living room table, already planning a sketch of her own; a drawing of Mr. Knightley watching Emma at the ball, his feelings obvious to everyone but the object of his affections. She only hoped that she could convey all of these feelings in Knightley's facial expression in her drawing.

* * *

By Saturday morning, Charlotte was already starting to feel nervous at the idea of heading to The Ivy later in the evening. But still, her nerves were not enough to dampen her enthusiasm; she really was looking forward to spending the evening with her new friends, and she was curious about meeting Georgiana's boyfriend.

She spent more than an hour trying to choose a suitable outfit to wear, while also trying to complete a few chores, and stopping several times as she walked between the rooms of her flat to read the latest comments on her blog posts.

In the end, she decided on a dark lace dress with red floral patterns sewn into the fabric-her encounter with the mysterious Susan in her elegant dress last weekend had inspired her to wear the floral-patterned outfit.

The formal dress was one of her more expensive items of clothing, and she'd told herself to save it for a special occasion; but then, Charlotte thought to herself as she started to get ready for the evening, if dinner at The Ivy wasn't a special occasion, then she didn't know what was. She also wore black high-heeled shoes, silver earrings and a necklace, and she put on a plain black cardigan over her dress, just in case she got cold. She decided to wear her hair down, and so her curls fell over her shoulders as Charlotte put a small silver hairclip in her hair.

After Charlotte had put on her makeup and applied a little red lipstick, she started to feel a bit anxious again.

She quickly took a selfie, trying her best to get her whole outfit into the picture, and then she sent the picture to her sister, along with a message:

_Alison, I'm going for dinner at The Ivy tonight! (Can you believe it?!) Please tell me if this outfit looks okay for a place like that, you know more about these things than I do!_

Luckily, it wasn't too long before Alison replied to her:

 _Charlotte, you look beautiful. You should share your selfie on Instagram! Please relax and try to enjoy yourself-I'm so jealous that you're going for dinner at The Ivy tonight! You have to send me a message later and tell me all about it, especially if any good-looking men are going to be there. By the way, this is how_ my _evening is looking so far…_

Alison had sent a photo of herself sitting in the almost empty local pub in Willingden. She seemed to be deliberately putting on a sulky expression, as though letting Charlotte know just how devastated she was at the thought of the quiet night that awaited her. She even seemed to have dressed in a very casual T-shirt and pair of jeans, as though she hadn't thought it was worth the effort of dressing up.

Charlotte felt sorry for her sister, but she couldn't help laughing at the photo that she had chosen to send. Alison's message had definitely cheered her up.

She took her sister's advice and uploaded her selfie to her Instagram page. She hardly ever posted selfies on Instagram, but she decided that she would make an exception this time, since Alison had told her that the photo looked nice. She posted the picture without writing anything about it, or including any hashtags. The truth was that she felt a little too anxious right now to be able to think of anything to type out.

Just as Charlotte was about to leave her flat, she received a new notification on her Instagram page. Sidney Parker had liked the selfie that she had recently uploaded.

Charlotte stopped and stared at her phone in surprise for a few moments. That was new. Up until now, Sidney had only liked photos of Charlotte's drawings and paintings, seeming to deliberately stay away from her more personal photos, perhaps in an attempt to keep some distance from Charlotte's life outside of work. She therefore wondered what had inspired him to like that particular photo.

Charlotte knew that she couldn't stand still staring at her phone for much longer however. She was running late, and she still had to make her way to the restaurant.

* * *

Charlotte arrived at the Covent Garden Tube station a little after seven o'clock. She walked through the streets in the direction of the restaurant, trying to look calm and confident. The streets were very busy, and a lot of people had clearly dressed up for the evening; they looked very glamorous.

As she walked passed a few bars and restaurants, Charlotte was surprised and a little startled by the sight of Sidney Parker and his friend Babington; the two of them almost seemed to stagger a little as they walked out of a pub's exit doors a few feet ahead of Charlotte.

From their demeanour, and the way that they enthusiastically waved goodbye to an attractive women who lingered in the doorway of the pub, apparently sorry to see them go, Charlotte guessed that Sidney and Babington had probably already been drinking for several hours.

Charlotte deliberately kept her distance; she wasn't really sure that she wanted the two men to see her right now; no doubt Sidney would somehow jump to the conclusion that she had deliberately headed to this part of London tonight with the intention of running into him, even though she'd had no idea that he would be here.

As she walked slowly a few feet behind them, Charlotte picked up on a little of their conversation…

"Never before have I felt so…awkward around a person," Charlotte heard Sidney tell Babington, his speech sounding a little slurred.

"In what way?" Babington asked him. He sounded sympathetic, but also like he was trying to hide his amusement.

"Whenever I'm around her, I find myself feeling half frustrated, half…intrigued. Perhaps that's not even the right word for it. Maybe it's…"

Charlotte could not make out the next part of their conversation due to the even louder conversations going on all around her. She wondered who they were talking about. For some reason, she found herself hoping that Sidney was _not_ talking about the woman who he had just waved goodbye to outside the pub with a smile on his face.

"You should be brave…make a move," Charlotte then heard Babington say, after the noise of the crowd died down a little. "It's time to stop being so subtle about it all. You've never lacked the confidence before…"

Charlotte was just puzzling over Babington's advice to Sidney when suddenly, at the sound of a few enthusiastic shouts and shrieks from a group of young people to Charlotte's left, Babington turned to look over his shoulder, apparently curious to find out where the noise was coming from.

Hurriedly, Charlotte turned to look into a shop window, pretending to be suddenly fascinated by all the items on display in the window of a clothes shop that had probably closed a couple of hours ago. She could only hope that her hair obscured her face enough that Babington wouldn't recognise her. More than that, she hoped that Sidney would not turn around and see her.

"You can stop pretending to stare at that shop window now," Charlotte heard a female voice tell her after a couple of long, tense minutes.

She looked to her right to see a blonde-haired woman who she recognised-Clara, Charlotte was sure her name was-smirking at her. She was dressed up in a very elegant dress and high heels, her makeup perfectly applied.

"The coast is clear," Clara added with another smirk. "Sidney Parker's gone…"

With that, she walked on, a slight sway to her hips, as though the street were her own personal catwalk, no doubt heading to some exclusive bar or club nearby, raising her eyebrows knowingly at Charlotte as she passed.

It turned out that Clara was right-Charlotte could just make out Sidney and Babington through the window of a taxi as it passed. It seemed that neither of them had seen her, and they were now heading somewhere else for the rest of the evening. Still, Charlotte felt a little unsettled by Clara's smirk and her knowing expression. What had Crowe told her, about Charlotte's interactions with Sidney, for Clara to guess that it was him who she was avoiding? She worried that Clara would tell Crowe that Charlotte had been deliberately trying to avoid Sidney Parker in the middle of a busy London street. What would the two of them make of that? And, more importantly, would they tell Sidney?

Charlotte carried on walking in the direction of the restaurant. Sidney Parker might have gone, but still her heart was beating hard against her chest.

* * *

Charlotte had half-expected to be refused entry to The Ivy the moment she arrived; she'd imagined that all of the smartly-dressed staff would take one look at her and decide that she didn't belong there, but instead, when she gave Georgiana and Otis's names to the woman who was standing at the main doors and holding a clipboard, as Georgiana had told her to do, the woman simply glanced down at what looked like a short list of names, nodded and then beckoned for Charlotte to follow her into the restaurant.

To her surprise, Charlotte was led into The Ivy's private dining room. She was distracted for a few moments trying to take it all in; the room looked very pretty, with its dark wood walls, patterned carpet and narrow, rectangular windows with glass designs that reminded Charlotte of stained glass windows in a church. There were several round tables in the room, all of them covered in white tablecloths and with fine silverware on top of the tablecloths, and there were dark red chairs positioned all around them.

Georgiana and her boyfriend were already seated at a round table in the middle of the room. They both smiled as Charlotte approached, and then Georgiana's boyfriend stood up to greet her.

"Otis Molyneux," he introduced himself as he shook Charlotte's hand, while Charlotte introduced herself in return.

James Stringer arrived a few minutes after Charlotte, looking rather handsome dressed in formal clothes, rather than his more casual work clothes. He shook Otis's hand with a grin on his face, before they made a little small talk about James's recent work on the site of the new hotel.

While they were talking, Georgiana received a phone call from Fred. It seemed that he had been kept working late at the site where the new hotel was going to be built and wouldn't be able to make it on time for the meal at the restaurant. It looked like it was now going to be just the four of them.

As they sat down in their seats, James mumbled something about how nice Charlotte looked this evening, sounding uncharacteristically embarrassed.

And, from the way that Georgiana and Otis glanced at the two of them almost knowingly as they decided what to order from their menus, Charlotte couldn't help wondering if they somehow thought that they were now on some kind of double date with Charlotte and James.

Charlotte felt a little uncomfortable at the very thought of it; she did not want to be here on any kind of date, and she didn't like idea of her and James's new friendship being under any sort of close scrutiny. She found herself wishing that Fred had also come to the restaurant.

Otis seemed to be a very kind person. He asked Charlotte several questions about how she was settling into life in London, and how she found her new job at the architecture company, as well as asking James several more questions about the plans for the new hotel, and then asking him how his father was doing-it seemed that James Stringer's father had been unwell recently, and Georgiana had mentioned it to Otis in advance.

Every now and again, Otis paused in his conversations to hold Georgiana's hand or to kiss her on the cheek, while Georgiana looked at him with a look of utter adoration. Charlotte could tell that the two of them had very strong feelings for each other.

When Charlotte asked Otis about his own career, he launched into a passionate speech about his work in politics, and how he was hoping to be elected in an upcoming local election. He talked of the changes he wished to make, and how he hoped for a fairer society, and for more support and opportunities for people who had not been born into privilege.

His impassioned speech almost reminded Charlotte of a religious man giving a sermon, although she found herself agreeing with every word he said. Charlotte could also see the ambition in his eyes; it was clear he had his sights set on something much bigger than local office.

"My only regret is that I can't spend as much time with Georgiana as I'd like," said Otis with a sigh, as he threw an apologetic glance in his girlfriend's direction.

"It was a shame you couldn't make it to the party at Sidney Parker's house last weekend," Charlotte told Otis as she took a sip of her water. "I'm sure Georgiana would have been happy to have you there with her…"

Both Otis and Georgiana visibly seemed to tense at Charlotte's words. In fact, a strange sort of tension seemed to hang in the air over the table the moment Charlotte finished speaking.

"I'm sorry," said Charlotte with a frown, feeling a little confused by this sudden change in atmosphere. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's not that," said Otis quickly, as though hurrying to reassure her, "it just that…well, I don't think I'd have been very welcome there…"

"Why not?" Charlotte asked him, wondering if she was missing something here, or if there was something she wasn't picking up on.

Otis exchanged another glance with his girlfriend before he spoke again: "Sidney Parker doesn't exactly approve of my relationship with Georgiana…"

Georgiana looked a little uncomfortable at Otis's words. Charlotte suspected that she had not wanted to talk about this tonight.

"But, why not?" Charlotte couldn't help asking Otis, feeling a little shocked at hearing about Sidney's disapproval.

Otis seemed to be thinking very carefully about how to answer. "I doubt he would ever admit it out loud, but I get the impression he would prefer for Georgiana to date someone within his own social circle. He can be…selective about who he allows into his friendship circle, and I'm sure he'll expect the same rule to apply to any of Georgiana's relationships."

"You mean, he would prefer somebody who is wealthy as he is?" Charlotte guessed, her shock now mixed in with a little anger.

Was Sidney Parker really like that? Charlotte had already decided that he was a little cold and off-hand, but did he also consider anyone who was not in his social circle of rich Londoners to be beneath him, and unworthy of being with Georgiana?

Otis seemed pleased that Charlotte had reached this conclusion herself. "Sidney and his friends have this strange paranoia that women are mostly out to steal their fortune; no doubt he thinks the same of any of Georgiana's suitors…He and I have had a few…altercations in the past, and he has gone to great lengths to separate Georgiana and I ever since…"

Again, Charlotte frowned. She glanced at James, who looked sympathetic on Georgiana and Otis's behalf; it seemed he didn't need much excuse to dislike Sidney Parker.

Charlotte thought about what Sidney had said at the party last weekend, about Georgiana being like a younger sibling to him. Charlotte had heard that older brothers could be over-protective at times, but this seemed to go beyond that; this seemed far more controlling.

"Sidney doesn't know that I'm here with Otis tonight," Georgiana suddenly told Charlotte and James, sounding a little worried now. "You won't say anything to him about it, will you?"

Charlotte shook her head, but really, she wished that Georgiana had told her about this supposed secrecy in advance. She probably would have still come to the restaurant anyway, but she knew that she had been put on the spot a little; she was now complicit in keeping this meeting between Otis and Georgiana a secret, and she would potentially have to lie if any of the Parkers asked her about it.

"And," Otis continued, snapping Charlotte out of her thoughts, "I'm sure the Parkers are doing their best to hide it from you and James, but their business is in serious financial trouble. I get the impression that Sidney prefers to keep a…close eye on Georgiana's inheritance, should the family have need of any financial support in the future…Why let her money fall into the 'wrong' hands, in that case?" Otis finished, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

For her part, Georgiana looked very uncomfortable now. She turned away from Otis and glanced in the direction of the window, as though wishing to escape from this particular conversation. Charlotte had a feeling that Georgiana had not wanted Otis to reveal this truth to her friends about the state of the Parkers' finances. Perhaps Georgiana considered it to be a private matter.

"But, that's ridiculous!" Charlotte spluttered in response to Otis's words. "Any money of Georgiana's is hers to do what she wants with it! Who is Sidney, to decide on Georgiana's future?"

"Exactly!" said Otis, while James nodded in agreement with Charlotte. Otis seemed happy that Charlotte had come around to his way of thinking.

They were all distracted when a waiter brought their main course over to the table.

The food at The Ivy was delicious, and Charlotte even enjoyed trying a couple of fancy-looking cocktails after they had finished eating, but still a heavy air seemed to linger all around them after what Otis had said about Sidney Parker.

Charlotte felt like she was lost in unpleasant thoughts, with her mind asking her several of the same questions over and over. She found herself hoping that what Otis had said wasn't true; that there had been some kind of misunderstanding. But then she wondered why she so desperately wanted to believe that Sidney wasn't in the wrong here. She also felt guilty for having almost felt a strange sort of giddiness earlier in the evening when she discovered that Sidney had liked her photo on Instagram. Why did that even matter now?

* * *

It was getting late by the time they'd finished their food and drinks. As they all left the private dining room and started to walk in the direction of the restaurant's main doors, Charlotte noticed that a small crowd of photographers had gathered outside.

Georgiana seemed to tense up at the sight of the photographers, and she looked a little reluctant to go outside.

"They won't take pictures," Charlotte heard Otis mutter to Georgiana in a soothing tone of voice. "There are dozens of celebrities here tonight, as always; the photographers will focus on them…"

Georgiana nodded, reaching for Otis's hand as though seeking some kind of support as the four of them stepped outside, while Charlotte felt confused as to why Georgiana had been expecting the photographers to take pictures of her in the first place.

It seemed for a few moments that Otis had been correct in his prediction. Most of the photographers kept their cameras pointed at a couple of soap opera actors who had stepped outside the building ahead of Georgiana and Otis.

But suddenly, a couple of photographers shouted out Georgiana's name as though in sudden recognition, and then they started to point their cameras at Georgiana.

"Georgiana!" the photographers called out, as their cameras flashed, over and over. "Miss Lambe!"

 _How do they know your name?_ Charlotte really wanted to ask her friend, but now was not the time. The blue lights from the cameras were almost dazzling.

"Is he your boyfriend?" another photographer called out to Georgiana as Otis wrapped his arms protectively around his girlfriend, while Georgiana tried to shield her face with her bag.

Feeling a little unsettled at the nervous look on Georgiana's face, and the fact that they were effectively surrounded by photographers, Charlotte allowed James to take her hand as the four of them attempted to escape the cameras.

Somehow, the four of them managed to push through the crowd of photographers, and then James managed to hail a taxi a little further down the street.

"They'll never publish those photos," Georgiana started to mumble, the second they had all piled into the taxi. "No media outlet will pick the photos up…I'm not well-known enough…" She seemed to almost be talking to herself, trying to offer herself some sort of reassurance.

Georgiana spent the next ten minutes of the taxi ride staring intently at her phone in silence. Charlotte wasn't sure if she was already searching through online gossip sites to ensure that her photos with Otis had not yet been published, or whether she simply didn't want to talk to anyone yet about what had happened.

It was only after both Otis and James had got out of the taxi that Georgiana finally spoke.

"Why has Sidney liked your photo on Instagram?" she asked Charlotte with a frown, her tone of voice suspicious. "In fact, why are the two of you following each other on Instagram in the first place?"

Charlotte, who had been expecting Georgiana to confide in her about the events of the evening, or to talk about something to do with the photos outside The Ivy, was completely taken aback by Georgiana's question; she hadn't expected it at all.

"I have no idea," Charlotte told her honestly. She could barely even explain her interactions with Sidney Parker to herself, let alone to Georgiana.

Georgiana seemed to watch her with narrowed eyes for a few long moments. "You're not…attracted to him, are you?" she asked her.

For some reason, Charlotte's heart started to beat faster at Georgiana's question. "Of course not!" she spluttered, desperately trying to fight off a blush.

Georgiana looked as though she wasn't sure if she believed her or not.

Perhaps sensing Charlotte's discomfort, Georgiana didn't push the matter any further. Still she continued to watch Charlotte for the rest of the taxi journey, and Charlotte still felt as though Georgiana's eyes remained upon her as she got out of the taxi and walked towards the front door of the building where she lived in the cool night air.

* * *

Charlotte found that she had a lot to think about when she arrived back at her flat that Saturday night.

Again, she resisted the temptation to look up any information on Georgiana Lambe, but that didn't mean that she wasn't curious as to the reasons behind Georgiana's apparent fame. She wondered what would happen, if the photos of Georgiana and Otis really did appear on any gossip sites. Why had Georgiana seemed so nervous about this happening?

Not to mention that Charlotte was feeling a little unsettled at the apparent confirmation from Otis that the company she worked for really was facing financial difficulties. 

Charlotte also replayed some of Otis's other words over and over in her mind, trying to process what he had told her about Sidney Parker. Had everything Otis said about him been true? If not, then why else would Sidney be so determined to keep Otis and Georgiana apart?

As though she couldn't help herself, Charlotte took her phone out of her bag and started to scroll through a few of Sidney's latest photos on Instagram.

It seemed that his drinking had continued into the night. He and Babington must have met up with Crowe at some point during the evening, because there were several photos on Instagram of the three men at various bars and clubs in the city. Sidney looked more relaxed than he typically looked whenever he was around Charlotte, with a smile on his face and various drinks held in his hands in most of the photos. There was even a video on Instagram of the three men singing together in one of the bars, surrounded as usual by several very attractive women.

With a sigh, Charlotte put her phone away. She decided that she should get ready for bed; all she wanted was to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep without having to think about Sidney Parker, or the look on Georgiana's face when she'd asked Charlotte if she was attracted to him.

* * *

After the events of the previous evening, Sunday afternoon came as a welcome relief to Charlotte.

The sun shined brightly in the sky as she made her way to Tom and Mary's house. The streets were relatively empty, making the short walk from the Tube station to their address more enjoyable. Charlotte was looking forward to spending an afternoon with the Parkers' three children. She could almost pretend that the previous evening had never happened.

Tom and Mary lived in a beautiful house in West London. Their home was not quite as grand as Sidney's, but it was just as lovely all the same.

The walls in the entrance hallway were bright and colourful, and additional decoration had been provided in the form of several framed photos of the whole family.

Tom and Mary's three children ran down the hallway to greet Charlotte when Mary first opened the front door to her, while Tom bustled out of the kitchen, looking a little stressed out, as though he had fallen behind schedule with his work, but he greeted Charlotte warmly all the same.

Tom and Mary introduced their children to Charlotte-Alicia, Jenny and Henry, while Charlotte smiled at them as she said hello, and then there was plenty more hustle and bustle as Tom and Mary tried to usher all three children back into the kitchen.

A few pictures that the children had drawn were stuck up on the fridge in the kitchen, and there was a large noticeboard on one of the walls filled with letters and drawings, while several plaques that displayed quotes about the importance of family and friendship were on display on the other kitchen walls.

Alicia, Jenny and Henry were a little shy around Charlotte at first, but it wasn't long before they started to talk to her, telling her stories about school and their friends and a few of the books that their parents were currently reading to them as they sat at the table with the adults and ate their lunch. Alicia and Jenny in particular were very talkative, and Charlotte had never before heard her name called out so many times during one meal as both girls tried to get her attention. Charlotte thought that they were adorable.

"It's such a lovely day," said Tom after they'd all finished eating, "how about we all go for a nice walk in the park?"

The children were very enthusiastic about this idea, and so, they all ended up heading to Hyde Park for a walk in the late afternoon sun.

It seemed that Tom and Mary took their children to this park on a regular basis, as the children enthusiastically pointed out various trees and landmarks in the park to Charlotte, sounding like they knew it very well. They all tried to hold Charlotte's hand as they walked, while Tom and Mary walked just behind them.

Every now and again, Charlotte glanced over her shoulder to see Tom and Mary holding hands as they walked, talking to one another in low voices and occasionally sharing a smile.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling as she watched them. She thought it was nice, that the Parkers still seemed to be so in love, even with all the pressures that no doubt came with raising a family and running a business.

Charlotte fell into a daydream for a few minutes, imagining being able to afford to live in London on a permanent basis, somehow; to make a life of her own here. She pictured what it would be like, to have a family of her own here, one day; she imagined going to fancy restaurants with her husband on Saturday evenings, and walking in the park with her husband and children on Sunday afternoons…But then Charlotte tried to snap herself out of that particular daydream, telling herself that she shouldn't allow herself to imagine something that might never happen. A life like that in London seemed like such an impossible dream, after all.

After they'd been walking for a little while, Henry started to complain about feeling tired, and so his father carried him while Mary walked with Charlotte and the girls.

"How are you settling into London, Charlotte?" Mary asked her as they walked.

"Quite well, I think," Charlotte answered, appreciating the fact that Mary was taking the trouble to ask. "It can be difficult sometimes, being away from my home and my family, but you and Tom have been so welcoming, and I already feel like I've found good friends at work…"

"I know that we Parkers can be…a lot, at first," said Mary with a good-natured smile, as though she and Charlotte were sharing a private joke, but Charlotte also picked up on a hint of apprehension in her expression, as though she was nervous that Charlotte found them all a little overbearing.

"Oh, no, not at all," Charlotte hurried to answer her, trying to ease her concerns. "You and Tom have both been very kind to me, and Arthur and Diana made an effort to include me in their conversation at the party last weekend, when I was among strangers, which I appreciated…"

"And Sidney?" Mary asked her, watching Charlotte intently now.

Charlotte hadn't realised that she'd left Sidney out of this particular conversation about the Parkers' kindness, but it seemed that Mary had picked up on the omission.

"I admit I find him a little…confusing," said Charlotte, wishing that she could more accurately put into words her thoughts on Sidney Parker, rather than using the same word over and over when she described him to people. "Honestly, I sometimes get the impression that I irritate him when I'm around him," Charlotte admitted, hoping that she hadn't gone too far in saying this. After all, from what she had seen from their Instagram interactions, Mary and Sidney were good friends.

"Please try not to take his words too personally," Mary whispered, sounding more sympathetic than offended by what Charlotte had said. "I know he can come across as being a little…abrupt and off-hand at times, but he does have a good heart, underneath it all. The truth is, he struggles to trust people…he has been hurt, you see, in the past, and now it seems like his guard is always up." Mary sighed as she finished her sentence, looking genuinely concerned for her brother-in-law.

They walked on in silence for a few more minutes before Mary spoke again: "I'd like to see Sidney in a relationship again," she said to Charlotte after she'd quickly looked over her shoulder to glance at Tom. "Someone he can share his life in London with…but sometimes I worry that he will never fully trust a woman again…"

As Mary sighed and shook her head, Charlotte couldn't help thinking about all of Sidney's photos with the blonde-haired woman on his Instagram page. She wondered what the full story had been with that past relationship.

Charlotte nodded in acknowledgement of Mary's words, but the truth was that she now felt more confused than before. She had heard two different accounts of Sidney Parker's character this weekend, from both Otis and Mary, but she wasn't sure which one had the most truth to it; perhaps there was some truth to both of their opinions of him.

"Charlotte! Charlotte!" said Alicia and Jenny at the same time, the two of them gently tugging on the sleeves of her shirt as they both tried to get her attention.

Charlotte smiled at the girls as they started to tell her more facts about Hyde Park; she was grateful that they had provided her with a welcome distraction from her thoughts.

* * *

Charlotte felt calmer by the time she arrived back at her flat on Sunday evening. She'd had a really nice day, and she hoped that she would have the opportunity to spend more time with Tom and Mary's children while she was in London.

The events of Saturday evening now seemed like a distant memory, almost.

Her peace could not even be disturbed by a phone call from her aunt which Charlotte received less than half an hour after she'd arrived back at the flat.

"Alison?" Charlotte heard her aunt call out, the moment she answered the call.

"It's _Charlotte_ , Aunt," said her niece, trying to keep a tone of impatience out of her voice.

"Ah, yes, Charlotte," said her aunt. "I see you were with Georgiana Lambe at The Ivy this weekend," she continued, without any attempt at small talk or polite chit-chat first. "Your sister showed me some of the photos. Miss Lambe's a wealthy heiress, you know; her parents owned a well-known chain of hotels…their name is still on the front of hotel buildings all over the world…"

Charlotte tried to ask her aunt a little more about the chain of hotels that Georgiana's parents owned, but it seemed that her aunt had lost interest in that particular part of the conversation. "No doubt _she'll_ marry well!" her aunt suddenly exclaimed, ignoring all of Charlotte's questions.

Again, Charlotte tried to remind her aunt that times were very different now, and that there was no need for a wealthy heiress like Georgiana to get married at all, but her aunt wasn't listening: "Oh, you and all your talk of modern women!" she grumbled, her tone dismissive. "More importantly, I don't know why you all looked like you were trying to hide from the cameras outside the restaurant! You should have tried to showcase yourself to London's media while you had the chance, Charlotte! You never know, a few eligible bachelors might have seen your photos!"

The sudden sound of the doorbell announcing visitors to Charlotte's aunt's home effectively ended the call early. Her aunt always seemed to have visitors, and she thought it was rude to keep people waiting too long at the door.

Charlotte had never before been so grateful that her aunt had a reason to end one of her calls.

Charlotte was still feeling relaxed after spending her Sunday with Tom and Mary and their children, as well as feeling a little sleepy after walking through Hyde Park in the late afternoon sunshine, and it therefore did not occur to her in that moment that if her aunt had somehow seen photos of Charlotte and James and Georgiana and Otis together, then it was very likely that other people would have seen those photos, too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say a big thank you for all of the lovely comments and feedback I’ve received for this story. I’m really happy and overwhelmed by it all, and it's so nice to know that people are reading this fan-fiction. 😊
> 
> This chapter is slightly shorter than the others, and a little different to the other chapters in its content, but it ties in with and leads into the events of the upcoming chapters. I was originally planning on posting it at the same time as chapter six, which is linked to this chapter and will be a slightly longer chapter, but I didn’t want to leave it too long between updates.

Charlotte felt a little befuddled as she headed to work on Monday morning. She might have felt tired on Sunday evening, but she'd had some rather strange dreams through the night that had disturbed her sleep a little, preventing her from getting the rest she needed…

At first, she'd dreamt that she was sitting at a table at a fancy restaurant. It had all looked very pretty, with the lights dimmed and with roses displayed on the table, along with a candle that burned down steadily beside the roses. But then Charlotte had looked across the table to see Sidney Parker sitting directly opposite her, his eyebrows raised and a typically judgemental and irritated expression on his face.

Then she had dreamt that she was walking through a very beautiful park, surrounded by flowers and trees, with a lake of clear water in the distance. Charlotte had practically glided along, walking through the green grass, with the sun shining brightly overhead, but then a shadow had appeared next to her. In her dream, she had turned to her right to see Sidney Parker walking beside her, the irritated expression back on his face as he'd looked right at her.

After that, Charlotte had ended up back in her dream ballroom, with the handsome, mysterious stranger gently spinning her around under the chandelier and saying her name in that deep voice of his as they both danced together. Again, he'd put his hand up to his face to remove his mask, only for Charlotte to wake up just before he could reveal himself to her, as always.

All in all, she hadn't exactly had a peaceful night's sleep.

As she travelled on the Tube through the London underground, Charlotte couldn't help wondering if both of Sidney Parker's stern-faced appearances in her dreams were perhaps supposed to hint at a guilty conscience on Charlotte's part, although she had no idea what she was supposed to feel guilty about. She also had no idea how the first two dreams had somehow conjured up the third dream in the ballroom.

Charlotte almost felt grateful when the underground train arrived at her stop. She now had a distraction from her thoughts, at least, especially as it turned out that she wouldn't be walking to work alone. James Stringer was waiting for Charlotte just outside the Tube station, as he had done on a couple of other mornings before work last week. The two of them started to walk to work together, talking about the meal at The Ivy on Saturday evening along the way. They both seemed to be deliberately avoiding mentioning the incident with the press photographers at the end of the night, as well as the look on Georgiana's face when she'd realised that the photographers had recognised her.

Charlotte and James caught sight of Georgiana about halfway down the road. She waved as she headed over to them, and then she fell into step next to them, so that the three of them could walk towards the office building together.

Georgiana talked to James and Charlotte for a couple of minutes, telling them that Otis had enjoyed meeting them on Saturday, and mentioning something about the arrangements that Tom and Mary were making for a staff party that was apparently going to be taking place somewhere outside of London in a few weeks' time, but then she seemed to get distracted by her phone.

Charlotte talked to James about the week ahead while Georgiana stared almost avidly at her phone screen. She assumed that Georgiana was communicating with her boyfriend, as she seemed to be typing frantically as she stared at her screen.

James was just telling Charlotte that he would only be in the office building for one day this week, and then, from Tuesday, he would be working at the site where the construction for the new hotel was taking place, when they were cut off by the sound of a loud gasp from Georgiana.

"Oh no," Georgiana mumbled, the moment Charlotte and James stopped walking up the stone steps that led to the building's front door and turned to stare at her. "Oh no," she continued, as though barely even aware that James and Charlotte were watching her. There was a definite look of panic on her face now. "Oh _no_ …"

"Georgiana, what is it?" Charlotte asked her, feeling concerned on her friend's behalf.

Finally, Georgiana held up her phone screen so that Charlotte could see.

Georgiana had what looked like some kind of celebrity gossip site opened up on her phone, and there were several photos of her and Otis outside The Ivy at the top of the page. A couple of these pictures even showed Charlotte and James, standing next to Georgiana and her boyfriend.

 _Georgiana Lambe and her Boyfriend Step Out in London!_ the headline read.

Charlotte practically felt her heart sink as she looked from the headline on the gossip site to the photos and then to Georgiana, who still looked very worried. She wasn't sure what the consequences of these photos being published would be for Georgiana exactly, but she could tell from the look on Georgiana's face that this was something she had dreaded happening.

Charlotte sighed, feeling annoyed with herself. She should have seen this coming. Her aunt had all but revealed to her that these pictures were in circulation, and she hadn't been concentrating enough at the time to pay attention to what her aunt was saying. And as a result, Georgiana had been left to discover the photos without any warning.

"Georgiana…" said James, his tone of voice full of sympathy. It seemed that he couldn't think of anything else to say after that though.

As Georgiana mumbled something about the Parkers to James, Charlotte quickly took out her own phone and typed the name 'Georgiana Lambe' into a search engine.

Sure enough, the top search results revealed that several other gossip sites had also published the photos at The Ivy.

 _Hotel Heiress Georgiana Lambe heads to The Ivy with her Friends and Boyfriend!_ one headline read.

 _Miss Lambe's Wild Night in London!_ another headline announced.

One of the gossip sites showed a photo of Charlotte and James holding hands as they stood next to Otis and Georgiana. Charlotte felt a little uncomfortable as she glanced at the photo, but then she decided that her own personal sense of unease was not the priority just now.

"Maybe nobody else has seen the photos yet," Charlotte eventually heard James tell Georgiana, which distracted Charlotte from the photos on her phone.

Georgiana nodded, with an almost desperate look on her face, like she really wanted to believe him, but Charlotte thought that James was perhaps being a bit too optimistic in his attempts to reassure Georgiana.

It was almost nine o'clock, and so the three of them had no choice but to go inside so that they could head to their offices in time to start work, but there was a definite look of anxiety on Georgiana's face as she opened the front door and walked into the building.

The moment the three of them stepped inside, Charlotte caught sight of Sidney Parker, who was standing in the doorway to Tom's office with his arms folded and a very stern expression on his face. The hushed conversation between Charlotte, James and Georgiana quickly came to an end at the sight of him.

Charlotte felt like her heart was racing as she took in the frown on Sidney's face. He had already seen the photos. Of course he had seen the photos. Why was this realisation making her feel so nervous?

She was sure that the feeling of dread that currently seemed to be weighing down on her reflected the look of dread on Georgiana's face.

She remembered what Georgiana had said at the restaurant, about how Sidney hadn't known that Georgiana was meeting Otis at The Ivy on Saturday evening; she remembered how Georgiana had asked Charlotte and James not to say anything to him about it.

Sidney's frown deepened as he looked right at Georgiana.

Georgiana looked right back at him with what looked like a look of defiance, although Charlotte was sure that she detected a hint of a guilty look on Georgiana's face as well.

"A word, Georgiana," Sidney finally said to her with a scowl, his tone of voice commanding.

He barely even glanced in Charlotte and James's direction. It was as though Charlotte wasn't even there. Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little hurt by what looked like a deliberate attempt on Sidney's part to ignore her.

Georgiana continued to glare at Sidney. She did not move. She did not say anything.

"Sometime today would be ideal, Georgiana," said Sidney with a sigh, his tone of voice dripping with sarcasm. "As you well know, I have many demands on my time…" With that, he turned around and walked into Tom's office. He left the door open, a clear sign that his upcoming 'word' with Georgiana was non-negotiable.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, Georgiana followed him.

The door to Tom's office was not fully closed (it seemed that both Georgiana and Sidney had been too distracted to remember to close it), and so Charlotte could hear snatches of their conversation…

"You assured all of us that the two of you were no longer in contact," Sidney was saying to Georgiana. He sounded very annoyed; it was almost as though he believed that Georgiana had deliberately planned all of this as a way of adding to his worries and his workload.

"I said nothing of the sort!" Georgiana snapped at him.

"How do you think it looks," Sidney demanded of her, apparently choosing to ignore what Georgiana had just said, "when you lie to us, and encourage your friends to be complicit in your lies?" His voice was raised a little now.

Charlotte looked at James for some sort of clarification, but he simply looked back at her and shrugged. It seemed that he didn't know either why the published photos were such a problem for both Georgiana and Sidney. She tried not to feel too uncomfortable, or too irritated, at the reference to Georgiana's friends being complicit in all this.

It was after nine o'clock now. Charlotte knew that she really should head up to her office.

With a quick nod at James, Charlotte started to head upstairs. She walked very slowly up the stairs however as she tried to hear more of the discussion between Georgiana and Sidney…

"Do you think this is what your mother would have wanted for you?" Sidney demanded of Georgiana.

"Well, unfortunately, I have no idea what my mother would have wanted!" Georgiana shouted back at him.

Sidney and Georgiana's words were a little muffled after that, so Charlotte could not make out everything that they were saying; the next clear sentence she heard was from Sidney: "Do you not remember what happened last time, Georgiana? Are we _seriously_ going to go through all this again?"

Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little curious about what had happened 'last time'. Had something happened in the past between Georgiana and Otis?

The sound of the front door opening and then the sound of a couple of cheerful-sounding voices announced Tom and Mary's arrival in the building.

Charlotte decided that she really should to get to her office now; she did not want her managers to catch her standing on the stairs and listening into an argument when she was already supposed to be sat at her desk in her office.

Sidney and Georgiana's voices were raised as Charlotte hurried up the rest of the stairs. As the two of them shouted at each other, Charlotte could just about make out Georgiana accusing Sidney of being cold and uncaring, with Sidney seemed to be heavily implying that Georgiana was being selfish and reckless.

She wondered what Tom and Mary would think, when they walked into their office only to be greeted by the sight of two people they cared about arguing with one another.

* * *

Charlotte felt tense for the rest of the morning. She had so many administrative tasks to be getting on with, as well as a few more emails to send about the upcoming company fundraiser, but she really couldn't concentrate.

She had barely been in her office for half an hour when she'd heard the sound of heavy footsteps downstairs in the hallway, closely followed by what sounded like the sound of the front door slamming. Charlotte had guessed that Sidney Parker had stormed out of the building in a bad temper after his argument with Georgiana.

A little while later, Charlotte had managed to sneak downstairs on the pretence of going to do some photocopying. She had been met by the sight of James Stringer as she'd descended the stairs, and he'd let her know that Georgiana had gone for a walk 'to clear her head', and so Charlotte had assumed that Georgiana was rather angry.

About half an hour after that, Charlotte had gone downstairs again, heading in the direction of the staff room to get a hot drink during her break, while discreetly keeping an eye out for Georgiana at the same time. She had only been in the staff room for a couple of minutes when Mary walked in. Charlotte had asked her where Georgiana was, and she'd told her that she was in a meeting with Tom and other members of the finance team. Mary had seemed to be trying to remain upbeat, but Charlotte had detected a hint of worry in her expression. She hadn't been sure if Mary had been worried about Georgiana's bad mood, or the state of the company's finances.

After all that, Charlotte struggled to stay focused, her mind constantly drifting away from her work. Instead, she spent the rest of the morning worrying about what else might have been said during the argument, and whether Georgiana was okay, and whether there was going to be a bad atmosphere at work for the rest of the day after the discussion between Georgiana and Sidney.

* * *

Charlotte ended up heading downstairs for lunch a little later than usual. Her lack of focus throughout the morning had resulted in her falling behind with her work, and she'd also had to make a few phone calls about the fundraiser at around midday.

By the time she arrived in the staff room, it seemed that most of her work colleagues had already finished eating, as the room was almost empty, and a few empty cups and plates had been left on a few of the tables.

One person however was still in the room. Georgiana was standing in front of the sink on the other side of the staff room, washing various plates and dishes, her movements rapid, agitated. It was clear from the look on her face that she was in a very bad mood. It seemed that she had resorted to aggressively washing the dishes as a way of venting her anger about the morning's events.

"What does _he_ know?" Georgiana muttered furiously as Charlotte approached her, talking almost to herself as she slammed a recently washed plastic container onto the kitchen counter. Charlotte could only assume that she was talking about Sidney. "As I've told him _many_ times before, he's _very_ self-centred, and incapable of understanding what other people are going through. He could never understand how Otis and I feel about each other. _He_ wouldn't know love if it danced right in front of him, carrying a pile of his precious leather-bound books. Why should _he_ have any say in my love life? I don't need _his_ approval. No doubt he'd have me dating someone like his idiot friend Edward, if he had his way…"

"Sidney Parker wouldn't do something like that, would he?" Charlotte asked her, unable to stop herself from interrupting Georgiana's rant. "He wouldn't try to influence and interfere in your relationships?" She couldn't help feeling a little shocked at the idea of Georgiana ending up with someone like Edward, especially when it was clear that Georgiana had feelings for somebody else. Why would Sidney prefer someone like Edward over Otis for Georgiana?

 _Because Edward has more money than Otis_ , a nagging voice in the back of Charlotte's mind seemed to be trying to tell her, even though she didn't want to listen to it. She did not want to believe that Sidney would encourage Georgiana to choose money over love, even though Otis had implied as much during his conversation with Charlotte on Saturday evening.

She also started to wonder why Sidney was friends with Edward in the first place, although she quickly decided, given the current circumstances, that that should be a thought to ponder on another day.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, you know," Georgiana responded to Charlotte's questions, still looking very irritable. "You haven't known him for very long, and you don't know what he's capable of. Has he ever told you that he tried to pay Otis off to stay away from me last year?"

Charlotte stared at Georgiana in wide-eyed shock. No, Sidney Parker had not told her that, and she knew that the current look on her face would make her previous ignorance of this matter obvious.

Why would Sidney Parker do something like that? Why was it so important for him to keep Otis and Georgiana apart? Was there more to this story, or was Sidney simply trying to be spiteful and controlling, in the way that Georgiana seemed to think he was?

"I thought not," Georgiana muttered, apparently reading the shocked expression on Charlotte's face for exactly what it was.

There was a definite look of satisfaction on her face as she returned to washing the dishes with a renewed vigour, as though she was now convinced that she had fully persuaded Charlotte to her way of thinking.

Yet the anger was still written all over her face...

"Just because _his_ girlfriend left him, it doesn't mean that Otis will betray _me_ in the same way," she said as she slammed down a few kitchen knives onto the nearest surface with a final flourish.

* * *

Charlotte had a lot to think about by the time she returned to her office after lunch.

She replayed Georgiana's words to her over and over in her head, trying to make sense of them. Yet again she wondered why Georgiana seemed to think that Sidney would prefer someone like Edward for Georgiana over someone like Otis, and she wondered why Sidney had paid Otis off to stay away from Georgiana. She couldn't help feeling a little shocked and angered by it all.

Amidst all of these thoughts, Charlotte also couldn't help thinking about something else that Georgiana had said, about how Sidney Parker's girlfriend had been the one to leave him. For some reason, she had always assumed that it had been the other way around, although she wasn't sure why she had thought that. A part of her was curious to know the reasons behind Sidney's ex-girlfriend's decision to end the relationship, especially as Georgiana had mentioned something about a betrayal, while a part of her wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.

Everything was very confusing at the moment, but the more logical part of Charlotte's mind told her that she couldn't afford too many distractions right now, especially as Otis Molyneux had recently confirmed Charlotte's suspicions that the company was in trouble. She knew that she had to do the best she could at her job, so that she could play her own small part in keeping the company going.

* * *

Charlotte's sense of confusion was heightened at the end of the day when she headed downstairs to her locker and opened it to discover that yet another book had been placed inside it.

This time, a copy of _Northanger Abbey_ had been left in her locker.

She took the book out of her locker and held it delicately, partly out of suspicion, and partly out of awe at seeing how beautiful the leather-bound book was.

Charlotte had not read _Northanger Abbey_ for a long time, and she'd been planning on a re-read for a little while…therefore, in other circumstances, she would have been thrilled at the prospect of acquiring a copy of this book, but she was still feeling so confused as to the reasons behind the appearance of the Jane Austen novels in her locker in the first place, and this feeling of confusion was now mixed in with a sense of bewilderment after the events and the revelations of the day.

Georgiana's argument with Sidney seemed to have taken over everything else in the workplace throughout the day…Who had thought of _her_ , when everyone's attention had been on the argument?

Charlotte stared at the book's dark cover with a frown on her face.

 _Who_ was leaving these books in her locker? She really was becoming desperate to find out now.

She had only noticed James Stringer standing by the lockers today…was _he_ the one behind all this? In some ways, this explanation was plausible, but not so much in other ways. Would Charlotte ever find out for sure?

Hurriedly, Charlotte placed the book in her bag and headed towards the front door. The book was beautiful, and she was grateful to have it, in spite of her confusion, but she had never before felt so relieved to finish work for the day.

* * *

Georgiana's tantrum seemed to have burnt out by Tuesday morning. She was being almost friendly to everyone in the building again, although a little quieter than usual. Her tense body language and her sombre expressions hinted to her work colleagues that she was not going to be engaging in any long or detailed conversations.

On Tuesday afternoon, Charlotte looked up from a pile of paperwork when Georgiana knocked on her office door.

"I'm sorry," Georgiana mumbled, the moment Charlotte invited her into the room. She looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable, and Charlotte assumed that she was apologising for her behaviour yesterday. "You must think I'm very spoiled and sulky," she sighed. "Poor little heiress, throwing a tantrum at work because her older brother in all but name shouted at her for going on a date with a boyfriend he doesn't approve of…"

"I don't think that at all," Charlotte tried to reassure her. Right now, she wasn't sure what she thought about anything. But there was a sadness in Georgiana's eyes today, and Charlotte felt sorry for her. She wondered if Georgiana was missing her mother, and if she was maybe focusing on her feud with Sidney as a way of distracting herself from her grief.

Georgiana nodded, apparently accepting Charlotte's words.

"Sidney's starting to think that you're a bad influence on me, you know," Georgiana told her after a few moments of silence, seeming almost amused now.

Charlotte however did not feel amused at all on hearing this piece of information. "Did he say that?" Charlotte demanded of Georgiana, trying not to look or sound too irritated.

"Well, no," Georgiana admitted, "but it was implied during our discussion. It's yet another reason why I'm glad that you and I are friends."

Georgiana still looked amused as she left Charlotte's office, but Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little hurt, even though she had no idea why. What did it matter, if Sidney Parker thought that she was a bad influence on Georgiana?

* * *

Georgiana might have made an effort to clear the air with Charlotte, but she still remained a little distant throughout the week, and the look of sadness remained in her eyes. Both James and Fred were out of the office, working at the site where the new hotel was going to be built, and almost everybody else seemed to be a little stressed out, either with their own paperwork, or with the planning of the upcoming company fundraiser, and so Charlotte found that she didn't have many people to talk to. For the first time, she found herself wishing that James Stringer was back in the building, and not out working at the site, even though she wondered if it was a little selfish to be thinking that way.

Sidney Parker did not return to the building after his argument with Georgiana on Monday morning, and so Charlotte had no idea if he was still in a bad mood with Georgiana, or even if he was angry with Charlotte, blaming her for what had transpired at The Ivy on Saturday evening.

* * *

It was not until Friday that Georgiana seemed more like her usual self. She attended a meeting with Tom in the morning, and after that she seemed to be a little more cheerful when Charlotte saw her in the staff room during her break.

" _You'll_ be very happy, when Tom makes an announcement about the upcoming staff party, and you find out where it's going to take place," she told Charlotte with a raised eyebrow, as though trying to drop some sort of hint through her tone of voice and her facial expression. "Of course, the Beaufort sisters are already speculating about whether Sidney will grace us with his presence at this particular event," she said sarcastically, her words suggesting that Sidney usually considered staff parties to be beneath him, "but _I_ have far more interesting things to plan and speculate about. It wouldn't normally be _my_ thing, of course," she added, "but I think I might enjoy the staff party this summer, knowing how happy you'll be about it…"

With that, she walked out of the staff room with a cup of coffee in her hand, leaving Charlotte to wonder what Tom was going to say in his announcement about the staff party, and why Georgiana thought that she would be so happy about it.

* * *

Georgiana might have seemed happier throughout the day, but still, with the atmosphere in work having been rather tense all week, Charlotte couldn't wait to get out of the building at five o'clock on Friday evening.

For a few moments after she'd stepped outside the building, she half-contemplated walking her usual Friday evening route to the local Starbucks, but she soon decided against it.

After the not so nice atmosphere in work all week, she didn't exactly feel enthusiastic at the idea of running into any of her work colleagues at the coffee shop. She felt like she needed to take a step back from the workplace drama, if only for one evening.

* * *

In an attempt to distract herself from all her thoughts about Sidney Parker, and Georgiana and Otis's relationship drama, Charlotte spent the rest of the evening in her flat working on a blog post that she'd been planning out in her journal over the past five days.

 _In defence of Mr. Bingley_ , the title of this blog post read.

This particular topic had been inspired by her recent re-read of _Pride and Prejudice_ , and it was a little different from her typical posts. She had recently been thinking about how the kinder, more open men in Jane Austen's novels often did not get the credit from fans that they perhaps deserved, and she'd tried to use this blog post which focused on Mr. Bingley's character as a platform to open up a discussion about the merits of those men in Austen's novels who were maybe not like the typical, brooding leading male characters that fans of Austen's work always seemed to love so much.

Charlotte had initially been a fan of Mr. Bingley, before her fascination with Mr. Darcy had truly set in during her late teens, and she still thought that his character was quite sweet, but she knew that his character could divide opinions at best, and be completely over-looked at worst. She was interested to know what other fans had to say about the male character who was perhaps the polar opposite of his best friend, Mr. Darcy.

After she had finished typing out her blog post, Charlotte started to feel a little tired. She decided that she would edit and post a finalised version to her blog in the morning.

She made herself a chamomile tea, and then she read a couple of chapters of _Northanger Abbey_ before she went to bed. She hadn't yet published many blog posts focusing on this particular novel of Jane Austen's, and she hoped that this re-read of the novel would inspire a few new posts based on the characters and the themes of _Northanger Abbey_.

As she tried to fall asleep, Charlotte tried _not_ to think too much about Georgiana and Otis, or the posts on the gossip sites, or whether or not Sidney Parker was angry with her. She also tried not to obsess over the possible identity of the mysterious person who kept secretly leaving Jane Austen novels in her locker.

Finally, she managed to drift off. She only woke up a couple of times through the night after dreaming yet again about the masked, mysterious stranger in the ballroom.

* * *

When she woke up early on Saturday morning, Charlotte decided that she needed a little fresh air and exercise to clear her head.

By the time she'd finished her breakfast, she was considering heading to Regent's Park again for a run. For a few moments, she felt a little wary at the thought of heading to the park, mainly due to the fact that she had literally run into Sidney Parker the last time she had been there, and he had seemed to be in such a bad mood when Charlotte had last encountered him on Monday morning-she had no doubt that he wouldn't exactly be thrilled to see her, the next time they encountered one another-but in the end, she decided that it was very unlikely that she would run into him twice in the same place.

Charlotte took a little time to edit and post her latest blog entry, but it wasn't long before she was dressed in her running gear and ready to head to the park.

* * *

By the time Charlotte arrived at Regent's Park, the sun was already shining brightly in the sky, even though it was still quite early in the morning. Charlotte took some comfort in the knowledge of the fact that she had arrived at the park a little earlier than last time, making the odds of running into Sidney Parker this morning a little less likely, especially if he kept to some kind of strict exercise schedule and always went for a run in the park around the same time of day every weekend.

She also started to run a slightly different route around the park this time, although she couldn't resist jogging around the lake, just once to see all the boats.

Although she tried to run quite fast, Charlotte kept getting distracted by all the notifications she was receiving on her phone-it seemed that a lot of people were leaving comments on her latest blog post.

She couldn't resist reading a few of the comments; it looked like opinions were yet again divided, as they had been on her post about Marianne and Colonel Brandon, and Charlotte was fascinated to read some of her followers' thoughts on the male characters in the novels who were not the 'typical' Austen heroes.

She was a bit surprised that _LostinPemberley_ had not yet left a comment-this seemed like just the sort of controversial topic that would provoke a strong reaction out of him after all, and would no doubt end up with him arguing with Charlotte in the comments section. But there was no feedback at all from _LostinPemberley_ on her latest post.

The decision to read comments on her phone while jogging turned out to be a bad one, because one moment, Charlotte was staring avidly at her phone screen, trying to read a long comment that one of her blog followers had just left, where they were attempting to list all the merits of Mr. Bingley's character, and the next minute, she was running headlong into somebody who seemed to have been running towards her from the opposite direction among the small crowd of walkers and joggers.

Charlotte let out a gasp of shock at the collision. She prioritised her phone this time, as she could not afford to drop it, and she would not face the embarrassment of having to explain to her aunt the reason why she needed money to repair or replace it. However, this focus on keeping hold of her phone meant that she was not focusing on keeping her balance. She started to stumble, and if it had not been for the two strong hands that reached out to prevent her from falling, she would have ended up on the ground, just like last time.

In fact, everything about this moment felt similar to last time…

Full of dread, Charlotte looked up to see none other than Sidney Parker looking down at her, a clear look of irritation on his face as he continued to hold onto her, apparently concerned that she would fall to the ground the moment he let go.

Charlotte shook her head in shock and confusion. How had this happened again? What were the odds, of this happening twice?

Sidney's touch was surprisingly gentle, given the cold look on his face. He held her as though she were something delicate that might break if he held her too tight. Charlotte told herself that her rapid heartbeat was nothing more than a result of her panic at almost falling to the ground.

Charlotte might have thought even more about the strangeness of the two of them running into one other by chance yet again in this same park, if she had not been so distracted by the look on Sidney Parker's face, and the fact that his hands were on her arms.

"Is this another ambush?" Sidney asked her with a frown, and a definite hint of exasperation in his voice, which instantly snapped Charlotte back to her senses, and provoked her own sense of irritation.

"Ambush?" she asked him angrily as she took a step away from him. "Don't flatter yourself!"

She was not really in the mood to try to be polite to Sidney Park right now, especially when he had barely even acknowledged her on Monday morning, and then he had not returned to the building for the rest of the week, like he'd been deliberately avoiding Georgiana and her friends.

For a moment, Charlotte thought that she saw the slight tug to Sidney's upper lip that almost suggested he was amused by Charlotte's reaction, but then the frown returned to his face.

They stared at each other in a tense sort of silence for a few moments, before Sidney gestured at the path ahead, just like he had done last time, apparently silently inviting Charlotte to run with him.

Charlotte might have fallen into step next to Sidney as they started to run along the path, but she continued to watch Sidney Parker suspiciously as they ran.

She thought about what he'd just said, about her 'ambushing' him. Did he _really_ think that she was intentionally heading to Regent's Park on Saturdays in the hope of running into him? Perhaps he also thought that she only went to Starbucks on Friday evenings so that she could see him. Charlotte was both annoyed and embarrassed at the very idea of it.

They ran in silence for a little while, with Sidney occasionally sighing and rolling his eyes, as though it were such a burden to have Charlotte running next to him. The silence was definitely not a comfortable one. At one point, Sidney even seemed to slow down a little to glare at her. He was definitely annoyed with her.

"Why do you not approve of Georgiana and Otis's relationship?" Charlotte couldn't help asking Sidney after yet another tense silence had passed between them. She'd decided that if he was going to be rude to her anyway, she might as well try to find out what she wanted to know.

She'd been so curious to know the reasons behind Sidney Parker's disapproval since her conversation with Otis last Saturday, and she felt like she was just as much in the dark about the situation now as she had been a week ago. Georgiana had told her very little, and Sidney seemed to have gone out of his way to ignore her all week, as though he'd been avoiding talking about it all with Charlotte.

If she'd thought that Sidney had looked annoyed a few minutes ago, it was nothing to how he looked on hearing Charlotte's question. There was also a hint of resignation in his facial expression before he closed his eyes and shook his head, as though he'd been expecting Charlotte to ask a question like this at some point, even though he hadn't wanted her to.

"I'd advise you to stay out of matters that don't concern you," he told her with a frown as he stopped and turned to look at her, his tone of voice sharp. There now seemed to be a guarded expression on his face.

"Georgiana is my friend!" said Charlotte, feeling her own sense of irritation start to rise at Sidney's not-so-pleasant reaction and his sharp words. "Her happiness concerns me!"

Sidney rolled his eyes at her words. "I'll rephrase," he said, sounding like he was struggling to keep his voice level. "I'd advise you to stay out of matters that you don't understand."

"I understand that Georgiana and Otis are in love," Charlotte responded, unable to hide her exasperation, "and that you are trying to keep two people who are in love apart!"

Again, Sidney sighed. "What do you know about Mr. Molyneux, apart from the embellished tale that he has no doubt told you?" he asked her, his tone of voice judgemental. "Nothing. What do you know about Georgiana's history with Otis, besides the heavily edited version that she must have presented to you? Nothing."

Charlotte fought off a furious blush, trying hard not to give away that she in fact knew very little about Georgiana and Otis's past.

"This is not a love story from a Jane Austen novel, Miss Heywood," he added, his tone of voice almost condescending now, "or a romance taking place in a small village. The situation is rather more complicated than that..."

Charlotte felt a fresh wave of fury at Sidney's implication that she was silly and naïve and couldn't possibly understand the complicated dating scene in London, just because she was from a small village. Was love truly so different in Willingden? Or worse, was he implying that she was so lost in her Jane Austen novels that she had lost sight of reality?

"Well, Georgiana and Otis seem to be convinced that you would simply prefer for Georgiana to marry somebody rich…somebody in _your_ social circle," Charlotte told him in a furious whisper-a few passers-by were starting to stare at them now, and Charlotte didn't really want her words to be overheard by strangers, "and I have heard nothing so far to convince me otherwise!"

"I'll ask you again to refrain from making judgements about a situation you don't understand!" Sidney shouted at her.

"Oh, I understand perfectly well!" Charlotte snapped at him, trying to sound convincing, even to herself.

"Of course you do!" Sidney replied, his tone of voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I understand enough to know that you attempted to pay Otis off to stay away from Georgiana!" she couldn't help shouting out, even though a part of her mind already seemed to be telling her that she would regret revealing that she knew this when she had calmed down later.

Sidney looked furious now. But something else in his facial expression betrayed him; it was clear that he hadn't known that Charlotte knew this unpleasant piece of information.

"That matter is between Mr. Molyneux and I," he said after a long silence, the guarded expression back on his face, "he should _not_ have discussed it with you…"

Charlotte stared at him, wide-eyed as she realised that Sidney didn't deny it.

She did not mention that Georgiana had been the one to tell her this information, not Otis.

"I do not need to justify myself to you," Sidney continued. "If you truly care about Georgiana's wellbeing, then you will look out for her, keep her out of trouble and not enable her lies and secrecy!"

" _Enable_ her?!" Charlotte repeated, furiously. She wasn't sure how agreeing to meet with Georgiana and her boyfriend at a restaurant somehow counted as enabling what Sidney believed to be irresponsible behaviour.

As the two of them continued to shout accusations at one another, Charlotte could tell that Sidney had wanted to say all of these things to her all week; that he had been holding all these negative thoughts and feelings in until he found an opportune moment to confront her; that he at least partially blamed Charlotte for what had happened outside The Ivy last Saturday, as well as Georgiana. Perhaps this was why he had avoided her all week, to prevent an argument like this from breaking out at work.

And the two of them really were arguing now. Several people had stopped to stare as the two of them stood several feet apart, shouting at one another from across the path. There was no way to avoid making a scene now.

Charlotte could barely focus anymore, with all the adrenaline running through her body, but she could hear Sidney shouting something about how her behaviour with Georgiana suggested that she could not be trusted, while Charlotte shouted back at him, accusing him of not caring about Georgiana's happiness. Her heart was racing; nobody had ever provoked this response from her, or this level of anger in her before.

"What is the real issue?" she demanded of him after a couple more minutes of arguing. "Is Georgiana not allowed to choose who she wishes to be with, just because others around her-"

"Enough!" Sidney shouted at her, cutting her off.

Charlotte hadn't even been sure what exactly she was going to say to finish that sentence, but whatever Sidney Parker had imagined it to be, it seemed that Charlotte had hit a nerve. His tone of voice was so furious that even Charlotte was taken aback.

They stared at each in silence for long moments from across the path, the two of them taking deep breaths.

Sidney was the one to break this silence: "I don't care what you think, or how you feel about this matter, Miss Heywood," he told her as his mouth curled up into a sneer. "I have no interest in your opinion…In fact, I don't care at all."

Somehow, these words hurt Charlotte more than anything else that Sidney had said during their argument. To her utter mortification, she was afraid that she was going to burst into tears of humiliation. Perhaps the stress of work and being away from home really was starting to get to her now; perhaps that theory was easier to accept than the possibility that Sidney's words really did have the power to hurt her.

But still she squared her shoulders and looked right at him, determined not to break down in front of him, determined not to let him have the last word.

"If you really don't care," Charlotte told him, hoping that there wasn't a quiver in her voice, "then I wonder why you always go out of your way to be so rude and so unpleasant."

With that, Charlotte turned around and started to walk away from him before he could say anything in response, keeping her head held high. She did not look back.

She only broke into a run when she was certain that she was out of his sight.

Charlotte couldn't get out of Regent's Park fast enough. She had no idea where she was going, but she just knew that she had to get far away from where she was now.

* * *

Charlotte ended up travelling across London in the direction of the construction site of the new hotel.

When she arrived there, she decided that if anyone at the site asked, she would insist that she was simply curious to see the beginning of the building work that was taking place there (which was half true, after all), but the full truth was that there was still so much adrenaline running through her body after her argument with Sidney Parker, as well as several confusing emotions, and she therefore didn't feel ready to go back to her flat yet. She knew that if she did, she would end up pacing up and down its small rooms, going over the argument in her head, and tormenting herself by thinking of all the things she should have said.

A few of Charlotte's work colleagues were working at the site this afternoon. She spotted Fred a little further away from her, in conversation with a group of builders. He waved to her when he saw her.

"Charlotte!"

Charlotte was suddenly distracted by the sight of James Stringer calling out to her as he ran towards her. She was a little surprised to see him-she hadn't known for sure if he would be working here today.

"Charlotte," he said again as he approached, a smile on his face as he greeted her. He looked as though nothing could have made him happier than to see her here today.

Charlotte realised that there must have been something in her facial expression, or she must have looked a little off, because James's smile quickly faded into a concerned-looking frown. "Charlotte, is everything all right?" he asked her.

"Oh…yes, I'm fine," Charlotte lied, trying to force a smile. "I just needed a little fresh air, that's all. Actually, I was thinking about heading somewhere for a walk this afternoon," she continued, as a way of distracting James from asking her what was wrong, "and maybe going to see some of the sights in London…"

Charlotte hadn't even known that she was planning on doing any of this until she said it out loud, but now that she'd said it, it definitely sounded like a good idea. Since her visit to The Ivy last weekend, Charlotte had decided that she'd like to see more of what London had to offer; its restaurants, museums, galleries and its well-known neighbourhoods. Time seemed to be moving so fast, and Charlotte really felt like she wanted to see more of the city over the next few weeks, especially if her temporary work contract ended by the end of the summer and she had to move back to Willingden. Now seemed like as good a time as any to visit somewhere interesting in the city.

"I'll go with you," James offered, still watching Charlotte with a rather concerned expression on his face, in spite of Charlotte's false smile. "I've just finished working for the afternoon. If that's okay…?" he asked her, looking uncharacteristically nervous now. Perhaps he had seen some sort of hesitation in Charlotte's facial expression.

Eventually, Charlotte nodded in agreement; she'd been planning to spend some time on her own this afternoon, but she decided that it might be nice to have a friend with her. James Stringer might distract her from her thoughts about Sidney Parker.

* * *

The two of them ended up travelling to Notting Hill in West London. Charlotte had seen so many photos of this district on various social media pages, and she knew that this location had been a key setting in several films, and so she'd been hoping for a quite a while to have the opportunity to see the shops and houses in Notting Hill in person.

She took pictures of several of the beautiful, pastel-coloured houses as she walked through various residential streets with James Stringer; she couldn't wait to send the pictures to her sister. She even took a few selfies standing next to James in front of a couple of pink and blue houses, which she thought she might post on Instagram in the near future.

James was very pleasant and polite as he walked next to Charlotte, telling her about his work on the site and his future ambitions in the world of architecture. "One day, I'll design a whole town," he told Charlotte with a grin, a joking tone to his voice, although Charlotte suspected that he was only half-joking.

The conversation became more serious when James Stringer told Charlotte a little bit about his father, and about how he was recovering from a recent illness. Although James sounded positive about his father's chances of recovery, Charlotte got the impression that privately, James really was worried about him, and that he therefore had a lot on his mind at the moment.

"Are you sure you're all right, Charlotte?" James suddenly asked her after they'd been walking for a few more minutes.

Charlotte turned her head to look at him. She was tempted to lie; to insist again that she was fine, but in light of James's honestly about his father's illness and his plans for the future, Charlotte felt like she at least owed him some sort of explanation as to why she wasn't in the best of moods right now.

She ended up telling up telling him a little bit about her recent argument with Sidney.

James listened to her with a sympathetic expression on his face, widening his eyes and nodding his head in agreement in all the right places.

He admitted that he didn't know very much about Sidney Parker as a person, as he had apparently always seemed to keep something of a distance from Tom's business, and what James _had_ heard about him had mainly been negative, from Georgiana especially. He did suggest however that maybe they should both reserve judgement about Sidney and the current situation for a little while, until they found out more about Georgiana's history with Otis. He looked very angry on Charlotte's behalf however, especially when Charlotte told James a few of the things that Sidney had said to her in the park.

Charlotte nodded in agreement with James's suggestion about reserving judgement, but then she suddenly found that she didn't want to speak about Sidney Parker anymore; she could almost feel a tightening in her chest every time she mentioned his name, and talking about their argument and all the words he had had said to her was only making it worse.

"Thank you, James," she told him in an attempt to politely cut the conversation off. She tried to force a smile. "You're a good friend."

Something about the expression on James's face as Charlotte carried on walking almost suggested to Charlotte that he was a little disappointed by something that she'd just said. It took him a little while to catch up to her so that they could walk side by side again.

* * *

Charlotte was grateful for the distraction when they came across Notting Hill's main shops. She had fun looking in the windows of various antique shops and vintage clothes shops. It wasn't long before she discovered a second-hand book shop, and she couldn't resist going inside to browse through the rows of bookshelves.

Her spirits were lifted a little when she found an old Jane Austen biography among the rows of books, along with a couple of books that had been written by other authors as continuations of _Pride and Prejudice_. Charlotte had already read a few books like these, her most recent being a rather unusual story told from Mary Bennet's point of view after the events of _Pride and Prejudice_ had taken place, and she planned on reading a few more books from other characters' points of view after she'd completed her re-read of Austen's six main novels.

She decided to purchase the three books that she'd just found. She had recently received her first wage after working at the architecture company for a month, and she'd just about managed to pay her rent and bills, and now it was nice to be able to buy something for herself in London.

James grinned when she showed him her recently purchased books. There was no hint of judgement or irritation on his face as Charlotte talked about her passion for Austen adaptations, but he also didn't ask her any questions about the novels, and he didn't try to lead her into any kind of debate about themes or characters, the way that a certain other person always did. Up until now, Charlotte had not quite realised that she really did enjoy discussing Austen's novels with Sidney Parker. She only wished that she had not realised this at a time when she was so angry with him, or at a time when she was starting to suspect that she'd been correct in thinking that he only asked her questions about the novels for his own amusement, as yet another way to look down on her.

After the visit to the book shop, Charlotte and James ended up buying takeout food from a nearby café (Charlotte was a little embarrassed at the idea of going to a restaurant to eat when she was still dressed in her running clothes), and then they continued to stroll around the streets of Notting Hill as they ate their food.

They walked past an actual restaurant as they ate, where several couples were sitting at tables that had been set up outside the restaurant. One man gave a red rose to his girlfriend as Charlotte and James walked past their table, handing it to her from across the table after he'd poured two glasses of wine.

Before she could stop herself, Charlotte shook her head at seeing the romantic gesture.

James turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you not a fan of romantic gestures, Charlotte?" he asked her after they'd walked past the table. He looked like he was torn between surprise and amusement.

"Oh, no, it's just…" Charlotte spluttered, feeling a bit embarrassed now that James had seen what he must have taken as a look of disapproval at the romantic gesture, or maybe even bitterness. She didn't even know why she had done it, as she normally liked to see displays of love and romance when she was out in public; she supposed she just wasn't in the mood right now to see happy couples, especially when her week hadn't exactly been a pleasant one, and she'd heard a little too much about other people's relationship dramas. "I find I'm becoming a little cynical about romantic gestures…real life ones, anyway," Charlotte admitted.

"And why is that?" James asked her gently.

Charlotte wasn't even sure if she could explain it.

"I just find that real-life romances are not quite the same as the beautiful love stories portrayed in Jane Austen novels," Charlotte finally told him with what she hoped looked like a casual shrug. She smiled as she finished speaking, trying to pass her words off as a light-hearted joke. "Sometimes I wonder if real-life romance can even exist at all, with all the daily pressures of life..." she admitted.

James however did not laugh along with her this time. "Why should it have to be that way, Charlotte?" he asked her, his expression serious, almost intense. "For all you know, there's someone out there willing to give you a romance just like the ones in Jane Austen novels, and more…"

Charlotte didn't know what to say to that. She was spared from having to say anything when she heard the sound of her phone in her pocket, letting her know that she had an incoming call.

As Charlotte took her phone out of her pocket, James muttered something about going to get them something for dessert from a nearby cake shop, kindly giving Charlotte a little privacy.

Charlotte glanced at her phone screen for a few seconds, trying to work out who was calling her. She recognised the number as one that she had occasionally seen flash up on the phone screens at work, and she hurried to answer it, worried that Tom or Mary were trying to get in touch with her about some sort of work emergency.

"Hello?" Charlotte said tentatively.

"Miss Heywood," said the deep voice at the other end of the line.

Charlotte felt her whole body tense up at the sound of that voice. A feeling of anger started to wash over her, drowning out her sense of surprise at the fact that Sidney Parker was calling her after their argument.

" _Why_ are you calling me on this number outside of work hours?" Charlotte demanded of him, before he could say anything else.

"That is neither here nor there right now," Sidney told her with a hint of irritation in his voice, apparently dismissing Charlotte's question, which only caused Charlotte's anger to rise.

"About our…discussion in the park earlier," Sidney continued, apparently unaware of Charlotte's fury, "perhaps I spoke out of turn-"

" _Perhaps_?!" Charlotte repeated, unable to hide her exasperation.

"Yes, well," said Sidney, still sounding annoyed, and like he really hadn't wanted to make this call in the first place, "perhaps I should have said instead that I-"

"Mr. Parker," Charlotte cut him off. She couldn't talk to him, not right now. She was still so upset, and so hurt about all the things he had said to her. She replayed the last line he had said to her in the park in her head, about how he didn't care for her opinion, and, much to her mortification, she found that her eyes started to well up with tears. "You're the last person I want to talk to right now," she told him, trying to keep her voice level.

She was not in the mood to try to make amends with Sidney Parker right now, regardless of whether he was her boss's boss. She couldn't help wondering if Tom or Mary had made Sidney call her to offer her some sort of customary apology, as a way of avoiding creating tension or complaints in the workplace. This idea in itself was humiliating.

With that, Charlotte ended the call before Sidney Parker could say anything else.

The tears were threatening to fall now. For what was probably the tenth time that afternoon, Charlotte couldn't help replaying her argument with Sidney Parker in her mind. His words to her in the park had confirmed everything to her that she'd already feared; that he saw her as nothing more than a naïve, silly girl who had no idea about love, and whose thoughts and feelings and opinions did not matter. Clearly, he only asked for her thoughts on Jane Austen novels so often because he found her opinions amusing, rather than of being of any real value. When it came to real world matters however, he had no interest in her thoughts or feelings.

Furiously, Charlotte wiped her eyes. She would not cry. Not here. Not now. Not over Sidney Parker, a man she barely knew.

To make matters worse, James Stringer chose that moment to return from the cake shop.

"Charlotte, what is it?" he asked her, the moment he got closer to her, his voice full of concern as he looked from Charlotte to the phone in her hand.

Desperately, Charlotte scrambled for some sort of explanation that would not involve having to talk about Sidney Parker. "Oh, it's nothing," she said, trying to sound like she was just being silly, making a fuss about nothing. "It's just that, for the first time since I arrived in London, I feel like I'm very far from home…"

At her words, James took a step closer to Charlotte as though to put his arms around her, but then the panicked look on his face suggested that he'd just realised what he'd been about to do. "Sorry," he said quickly as he took a step back, looking a bit embarrassed, and like he was uncertain if the gesture would be appropriate.

"It's okay," said Charlotte. With a nod, she allowed James to put an arm around her.

The gesture was comforting, reassuring, and Charlotte was grateful for a metaphorical shoulder to cry on, but she couldn't help wondering if the gesture somehow meant more to James than it did to her.

"When you're with me, Charlotte," she suddenly heard James tell her in a low voice, "you don't ever have to worry about speaking your mind…"

As he spoke, Charlotte realised with a sinking feeling that James Stringer had inferred from what Charlotte had told him about her argument with Sidney Parker, and her reaction to the phone call, that Sidney's behaviour was the reason why Charlotte had looked so upset all afternoon. And now he was trying to make it clear to Charlotte that he was very different from Sidney Parker.

Charlotte wondered why it was suddenly so important to him to try to make this distinction.


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Alison,_

_It was so amazing to see you in London at the weekend-I still can't believe that you managed to take a few days off from work so that you could travel here! It really was a nice surprise, and you arrived at just the right time. More than ever, I needed to see a familiar face._

_Georgiana Lambe and James Stringer enjoyed meeting you, too. I keep remembering the look on Georgiana's face when you said that you wanted to travel around the city on one of the red tour buses so that we could visit all of London's tourist attractions! And then the bewildered expression on her face when we all looked so happy about going over Tower Bridge on the tour bus! Although, I do think she ended up having a good time; I could tell by her occasional smiles that she was enjoying herself, even though she would probably never admit it._

_James seemed to enjoy himself, too. He is the sort of the person who would probably still remain happy and positive on the dullest of days, but he really did seem to have a good time visiting London's tourist attractions with us on Saturday afternoon, and the two of you seemed to get on so well. He asked about you several times, after you'd left London._

_I know you were disappointed to not have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the 'famous' Sidney Parker (as you keep referring to him now, anyway)-although, honestly, I'm not sure why you have become so fascinated with him, and I have no idea what this great mystery about him is that you are trying to solve (I'm not really sure I want to know). I have not seen him in London since our argument in Regent's Park that I told you about. From what I hear from Tom and Mary Parker, he is still away from London on his annual holiday, and they're not sure when exactly he will be back._

_Everything is going okay at work still. The company is currently in charge of the designing and the building of both a hotel and a restaurant, so everything is very busy at the office at the moment. I'm trying to play my part and be helpful, even if it's only in a small way. I helped Tom and Mary to organise their office the other day, sorting through piles of bills and invoices and trying to arrange everything into a more coherent system. Both Tom and Mary seemed grateful for my help. There are also various other tasks I'm working on, such as the emails for the fundraiser, and all the paperwork that goes with the finalising of designs._

_I find that the more I focus on work tasks, even the more mundane ones, the less time I have to think about other things. Right now, that seems like a good thing._

_You might also be disappointed to hear that I am no closer to solving the mystery of the appearance of the Jane Austen books in my locker. I have one main theory as to who it might be, but I have yet to take any action to really try to solve the mystery, probably because I'm still not entirely convinced that my theory is correct. I'll keep you updated about it though, especially if I discover any new 'evidence'._

_I miss you! I wish you could be in London all the time!_

_Love,_

_Charlotte_

* * *

Charlotte sent her email to her sister over breakfast on a rather cloudy Monday morning before she headed to work.

Over a fortnight had passed since her argument with Sidney Parker in Regent's Park and her visit to Notting Hill with James Stringer, and over a week had passed since her sister's visit to London.

The Monday after the argument, Charlotte had walked tentatively through the front door of the company building, feeling overcome with nerves at the possibility of running into Sidney Parker so soon after their argument in Regent's Park, with her memory of hanging up on him when she'd been in Notting Hill with James still fresh in her mind and only serving to heighten her nerves and her embarrassment, only to find out from Tom and Mary that not only was Sidney not in the building, but he was also going to be out of London for at least ten days; apparently, he took annual leave at around this time every summer, and he usually took a holiday outside the city during this time.

Charlotte had initially been determined not to look at Instagram to try to find out where Sidney was, but after a few days, her curiosity had taken over, and she had allowed herself a quick glimpse of some of Sidney Parker's recent photos. He had uploaded three new photos, two of which showed that he was on holiday in a seaside town; one was a photo of Sidney walking through sand dunes, dressed in jeans and a grey jumper, with a woollen hat on his head, like the weather was a little chilly. Charlotte had tried not to think too much about how handsome he looked in the photo. Another photo showed Sidney sitting on a beach, dressed this time in jeans and a black T-shirt, like the weather had been a little warmer that day. His pose was casual, relaxed; he looked almost content. Perhaps he was happier, away from London. The third photo appeared to have been taken at an old-fashioned pub; it showed three pints of beer on a dark wooden table. Charlotte had already inferred from the photo comments, and a couple of shadows that showed in the picture in the pub, that Babington and Crowe were with Sidney on his seaside holiday, although she didn't know this for sure.

After she'd looked at the three photos, Charlotte had told herself to put her phone away and not look at anymore photos of Sidney Parker. Why torment herself, she'd decided, about where Sidney was and who he was with, when he'd been so rude to her and basically told her that he didn't care about her anyway? Besides, she'd made the decision to hang up on him when he'd last called her, telling him that he was the last person she wanted to speak to, so why worry now, about what Sidney was up to?

In some ways, Charlotte was glad for a little distance from Sidney Parker, given everything that had happened between them the weekend before he went away, but in other ways, she had to admit, if only privately, that she did miss their coffee shop meetings, and their discussions about Jane Austen novels.

Charlotte had not visited the coffee shop on Friday evenings since Sidney had left London for his holiday. She'd told herself that this was because she was too distracted with all her work at the office, and too tired in the evenings to do much more than relax, but perhaps there was more to it than that.

Perhaps feeling guilty about her behaviour after the incident at The Ivy, Georgiana seemed to have gone out of her way to keep an eye on Charlotte over the past couple of weeks. She'd invited Charlotte around to her flat on several evenings, and the two of them had spent their time cooking delicious food for their evening meals and then relaxing in front of the television with a bowl of popcorn in front of them, usually watching films. James had joined them on a few of these evenings, and in spite of looking a bit exasperated about Charlotte and Georgiana's choice of films, he'd seemed happy enough just to be spending time with the two of them.

Charlotte already knew that James lived quite far from Georgiana in London, but, when she'd questioned why James would go to all the trouble of travelling across the city several evenings a week to get to Georgiana's flat, Georgiana had paused and stared at Charlotte for several long moments before answering.

"Really?" she'd asked Charlotte with a raised eyebrow. "You can't think of any reason why he would want to be here?"

Georgiana's knowing tone of voice, and the pointed look on her face, had made Charlotte feel a little naïve, in spite of the fact that she was in fact older than Georgiana. She always felt like Georgiana knew something that Charlotte didn't about the world, and she didn't like that feeling. She'd therefore decided not to talk to Georgiana again about James's mysterious journeys across London.

* * *

By the time she arrived at the architecture company building just before nine o'clock, Charlotte was feeling less tense than she had felt two weeks ago. She might have privately acknowledged the fact that she did miss Sidney Parker's presence in London, a little, but with Sidney not around, it was much easier to push her uncomfortable thoughts about their argument, and all the things he had said to her, to the back of her mind; not to mention her memory of hanging up on him. Until he returned, she could concentrate on her work and attempt to ignore all of her other troubles.

As she walked slowly up the stone steps that led to the front door, she noticed that there were more cars than usual parked outside the building today. A small crowd also seemed to have gathered in the building's entrance hallway, as Charlotte's work colleagues made their way to the staff room.

Charlotte already knew that Tom Parker had called a staff meeting this morning, but she was surprised to see so many members of staff here for the meeting; it seemed that Tom wanted everyone who worked for him to be here today, even those who usually worked out on the architectural sites, or in other office buildings around London.

Charlotte wondered if Tom had something important to announce…

* * *

"A Jane Austen ball!" Tom announced as he stood in front of everyone in the staff room, his tone of voice full of rapt enthusiasm.

Charlotte, who had been discreetly glancing at her phone for the past few minutes since the meeting had commenced, far more interested in the latest replies to her blog post than the typical Monday morning work announcements during the staff meeting, quickly looked up to stare at Tom, her interest suddenly and entirely captured by what Tom had just said.

A part of her thought that she'd only been hearing things; perhaps her attention had been so focused on her Jane Austen blog that she had simply imagined that she'd heard Tom say the words 'Jane' and 'Austen' and 'ball' in his sentence.

But then Tom continued…

"For the staff party!" he shouted out, sounding as though he could barely contain his excitement. He seemed to be only moments away from banging his fist on the nearest table to reiterate his point. "To take place at the Assembly Rooms in Bath!" Tom added.

His tone of voice reflected Charlotte's own inner feelings. Had he really just said that the ball was to take place at the Assembly Rooms? It all sounded so perfect.

Tom paused and glanced around the room, as though expecting all of his staff to be equally caught up in his enthusiasm on hearing the announcement.

Charlotte glanced around the room, too. Most of her colleagues looked slightly confused, while others looked a little too tired or a little too stressed out by the day ahead to really care too much about the staff party.

Fred looked a bit amused by what Tom was saying, while James, ever the professional, seemed to be trying his best to smile politely at Tom as he spoke.

Charlotte caught Georgiana's eye, and Georgiana grinned and raised an eyebrow at her knowingly, as if to say, _See, I told you you would be happy about this!_

The men in the staff room looked particularly exasperated on hearing the news that their next staff party would be a Jane Austen-themed ball. Charlotte believed that this was yet more evidence that her blog post, which had suggested that men typically did not like Jane Austen, did in fact have some truth to it, in spite of what _LostinPemberley_ might have said to disagree.

Despite her colleagues' not very enthusiastic reactions, Charlotte quickly looked back at Tom, waiting for him to go on, and eagerly awaiting more details about this Jane Austen-themed ball…

"The ball is to take place in Bath in just under two weeks' time, on a Saturday evening," said Tom, with a little less vigour now, given most of his colleagues' not-so-enthusiastic reactions. "Hopefully, that'll be enough time for those who wish to attend to make arrangements to travel to Bath. There'll be food, and drink, and dancing at the ball! And of course, all guests will be expected to dress in Regency era costumes!

Charlotte glanced around the room to see that several people in the room were sighing and rolling their eyes now. But still, _her_ enthusiasm wouldn't be dampened by these negative reactions.

Charlotte could hardly believe it; _a Jane Austen Ball_ , at the Assembly Rooms in Bath. For years, it had been her dream to attend one of these balls; to travel to Bath and dress up just like one of Jane Austen's beloved characters and dance in the ballroom, but her and Alison had never been able to afford it. She knew that a ball usually took place around this time of year every summer in Bath, but not once had she ever allowed herself to believe that she could go and be a part of it. She had always settled for watching the event online, but suddenly, that didn't seem enough anymore, not now that she had the chance to actually _be_ there.

Charlotte still wasn't sure how exactly she was going to be able to afford to go, but she knew that she would have to find a way. She could not pass up on this opportunity; not now that it had been placed right in front of her. She was sure that this was the universe's way of telling her that she should attend. In fact, as much as she knew that Alison would laugh at her if she said it out loud, Charlotte almost felt like it was _fate_ that Tom and Mary had decided to hold their staff party in Bath this summer, at a time when Charlotte happened to be working for them.

"You are all welcome to bring partners, of course," Tom suddenly said. "If you'd like. Friends, boyfriends, girlfriends; all are welcome, and the more the merrier!"

This finally seemed to get everyone's attention. A few people in the room started to share smirks as they nudged one other and began to talk in low voices, as though enjoying sharing gossip and speculation about who they would ask to the ball. Charlotte spotted the Beaufort sisters on the other side of the staff room, the two of them giggling and whispering as they looked in James Stringer's direction. Charlotte wondered if they were hoping that James would ask one of them to the ball.

Charlotte tried to ignore her growing sense of nerves and unease at Tom's suggestion of bringing someone to the party-she hadn't realised that it was a 'thing' at this company, to bring dates to office events and staff parties; it was something that she hadn't even considered, when the possibility of a staff party had first been mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

"Several other well-known companies in London will also be attending-it'll be a perfect opportunity for networking, as well an opportunity for team-building…" said Tom, offering a possible explanation as to why he was so enthusiastic about this upcoming ball. "I'll be sending you all more details about the event this week," he finished, as he prepared to move on to other announcements. "And of course, there'll be posters displayed all around the building, so we can all start to get into the spirit of the event! I'll be asking those who'd like to attend to send confirmation by email by the end of this week…"

The rest of the staff meeting passed by in what seemed like a blur. Charlotte could barely concentrate on the rest of the morning's announcements, with her mind so focused on the upcoming ball. She would _have_ to find a way to attend, even if it meant staying at the cheapest hotel in Bath and buying cheap fabric and attempting to sew her costume herself.

At the end of the meeting, as Charlotte got up out of her seat, James took a step in her direction, the urgent expression on his face suggesting that he wanted to talk to her about something, but his plans were put on hold when Mary approached him to talk about some of his latest designs. As James walked out of the room with Mary, he seemed a little disappointed to not have the opportunity to talk to Charlotte, who was left wondering what he'd been about to say.

When other people started to file out of the staff room, Charlotte headed over to talk to Tom, who was preparing his morning coffee in the kitchen area of the room. Mostly, Charlotte was trying to get away from Georgiana, who seemed to be rapidly typing a message on her phone while at the same time muttering something to Fred about how she already knew _exactly_ who she was going to invite to the ball.

Charlotte had a sneaking suspicion that she also knew exactly who Georgiana was going to invite, and so she had quickly made the decision to move out of the way before Georgiana could tell her anything about it. She was sure that the less she knew about what Georgiana was up to, the better. How could she be blamed for any of Georgiana's decisions regarding the Jane Austen ball, if she officially knew nothing about her plans in the first place?

However, she was also eager to talk to someone, anyone, about how enthusiastic she was about the upcoming ball.

"Ah, Charlotte!" said Tom with a grin as she approached.

"I'm really looking forward to the Jane Austen ball," Charlotte told him with a grin of her own.

"I'm sure it'll be the grandest ball in Bath!" Tom declared, his usual optimism and enthusiasm ever present.

"I'm sure it will, Mr. Parker," Charlotte agreed with him, trying to sound very serious and reflective, while trying not to laugh. Sometimes, she forgot that Tom Parker didn't mind if his employees addressed him by his first name.

"If half of our partner companies in London can go, then why not us? That's what I say!" said Tom. "And, well," he added, "I daresay it'll be a good opportunity for us to network with well-connected businessmen and women…you never know who might show up, after all. If we can procure a few wealthy backers for the company while we're there, then it'll be an added bonus!"

Charlotte nodded, understanding that the possibility of finding investors for the company had played a big part in Tom's decision to hold the staff party in Bath in the first place. She would not admit out loud to Tom however that this would not be a priority of hers at the ball. She knew that the moment she walked into the Assembly Rooms, she would be so lost in Austen's world of music and dancing and Regency era outfits that she would not be able to think about very much else.

"I only hope that Sidney shares your enthusiasm for the ball," Tom added with a sigh, looking a little disheartened now. "Or that it helps to cheer him up a little, at least. He's been in a foul mood for the past few weeks," he explained, no doubt on seeing Charlotte's confused frown. "First, there was some sort of drama over a couple of photos of Georgiana at The Ivy…" (Tom's vague statement suggested to Charlotte that Sidney had not told him the full details about what had transpired.) "And then he started to hear rumours that Eliza was returning to-" Tom abruptly stopped talking before he could finish his sentence, as though he had been just about to say something that he had decided was too personal to reveal. "Anyway," he spluttered, as he seemed to attempt to gather himself together, "perhaps that's a story for another day…"

Charlotte stared at Tom in silence for a few moments, feeling overcome both by curiosity and confusion.

Who was Eliza?

Charlotte suddenly thought of all of Sidney's old Instagram photos with the blonde woman. Was Eliza the name of Sidney's ex-girlfriend? Where exactly was she returning to, and why did Tom seem so reluctant to talk about her?

Charlotte wasn't sure why she cared so much, or why all of these thoughts were making her feel so nervous.

"Well, I'd best be getting to work," said Tom, as soon as his coffee was ready, interrupting Charlotte's rather chaotic thoughts. "I'll send you an email with more details about the event by the end of today," he promised with a smile.

As soon as he left the room, Charlotte decided that she should also head up to her office to start her day's work, as the staff room was now empty.

* * *

Although she had a pile of paperwork stacked up on her desk, as well as several emails in the company inbox to respond to, Charlotte found that she could hardly concentrate on her work. Her mind kept drifting to the upcoming ball, and how she was going to find the money to travel to Bath for a weekend. Then, as soon as she managed to push these thoughts to one side for a little while, her mind began to drift to what Tom had said about the reasons behind Sidney's bad mood.

After about an hour, Charlotte decided that she might as well take a break and go downstairs to the staff room for a few minutes, as it wasn't like she was getting much work done anyway.

As she walked slowly down the stairs, she saw that Tom's office door was half open. She wouldn't have thought very much of this, if not for the fact that she could hear the distinct sound of Sidney Parker's voice, coming through the office door…

"For goodness sake, Tom!" she heard Sidney exclaim, impatience and irritation clear in his voice.

Charlotte froze on the final step of the stairs, her whole body starting to feel tense.

So, Sidney was back from his seaside holiday then. Charlotte didn't know why she was so surprised about this. He had been gone for quite a while, after all, and she'd known he'd be back before long. She should have worked out from Tom's words in the staff room earlier that he'd been expecting to see Sidney today.

Charlotte had managed to push the memory of her argument with Sidney, and its aftermath, to the back of her mind for a little while, but it all felt a lot more real, and much more like an issue that could have actual consequences, now that Sidney was back.

Yet again, Charlotte recalled how she had hung up on Sidney when he'd called her and tried to speak to her after their argument. What had he thought about that? Had he been angry? Indifferent? What had he been about to say before Charlotte ended the call? Would there be consequences for her behaviour? Would Charlotte get into trouble at work, if Sidney told Tom about everything that had happened? Would she be summoned to some sort of meeting this week, to discuss her conduct? Selfishly, she hoped that if there were any consequences, then they would not affect her chances of attending the ball.

At the very least, it didn't seem like Sidney and Tom were saying anything about Charlotte right now. From what she could overhear of their conversation, Tom was saying something about bank loans and mounting debts; it sounded like he was struggling to keep a panicked tone out of his voice, while Sidney continued to sound irritated. He muttered something to Tom about demands on his time, and how he couldn't be expected to bail the company out every time something like this happened, whatever 'this' was supposed to be.

Charlotte might not have heard the whole conversation, but she felt a bit annoyed by Sidney's less than pleasant response to Tom's plight. Why didn't he want to help his brother out?

Charlotte tried to hear more of the conversation between the two brothers as she started to take slow, quiet steps in the direction of the staff room…

She heard Tom mention the upcoming ball to Sidney, as though desperately trying to change the subject. The optimism in his voice as he talked about Bath and the Assembly Rooms sounded very forced.

Charlotte felt her sense of irritation increase at Sidney's pessimistic response…

"No doubt the Assembly Rooms will be full of 'fans' who are only at the ball because they've deluded themselves into believing that they'll somehow run into Mr. Darcy while they're there," he said with a sigh. "Meanwhile, the rest of the attendees will gather awkwardly in a far corner of the room, looking like they'd rather be anywhere else. I can hardly contain my excitement…" he finished, his tone sarcastic.

Charlotte shook her head in disapproval on hearing Sidney's words. Why did he have to do this, every single time? Why did he have to be so rude and so sarcastic? Why did he have to put such a negative spin on everything, especially the things that Charlotte liked?

Tom also seemed to share Charlotte's disapproval…

"Now, now, Sidney," he said, a firm tone to his voice that Charlotte had not heard before. It was a tone that said he was not to be argued with on this matter. "That's not the kind of attitude I want you to encourage in the workplace in the run up to this event…"

Charlotte didn't need to hear anymore. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes at Sidney's negative attitude, she started to take more rapid steps towards the staff room.

Just before she walked through the staff room door, Charlotte heard Sidney mutter something that sounded like, "Although, perhaps there will be some good to be found in it…"

Charlotte assumed that he was referring to the ball, although she wasn't really sure what his words meant…maybe Tom had just said something about the potential for procuring wealthy investors in Bath, and Sidney believed that this would be the one good thing that would come out of Tom's decision to attend the ball.

* * *

Charlotte was still feeling a little irritated as she stepped inside the staff room, closing the door behind her so that she didn't have to hear anymore of Sidney and Tom's conversation.

She sighed heavily and muttered a few words to herself about how Sidney Parker always seemed to find a way to spoil everything, but then she felt embarrassed when she realised that she wasn't alone in the staff room.

James Stringer was standing a few feet away from her, pouring the remainder of a cup of coffee into the sink.

He looked at Charlotte with a confused expression for a few moments, as though wondering why she looked and sounded so annoyed, but then this look softened into a smile.

"Charlotte," he greeted her, looking really happy to see her. "You must be looking forward to the ball," he added with a wink. "It seems like it'll be just your sort of thing…"

James's tone of voice might have been playful, but Charlotte could also tell that there was no hint of sarcasm or mockery in his words. He seemed to be genuinely happy on her behalf, and willing to share in her enthusiasm.

"Well, I'm determined to enjoy it," Charlotte told him, "even if others are not so enthusiastic," she couldn't help adding, with another glare in the direction of the closed staff room door.

James seemed to shuffle from one foot to the other, looking uncharacteristically nervous now, for some reason. "Well, if you'd like to go to the ball with someone who'll try their best to share in your enthusiasm, then maybe you and I could go together?"

His seemingly casual tone wasn't enough to hide the nerves and the uncertainty in his voice.

"Oh!" was all that Charlotte managed to say in her shock.

"I promise I'll dance most, if not all of the dances with you," James added, speaking very fast now. "You won't have to worry about not enjoying the evening, or having to hide away in a corner all night to avoid participating in any of it, as I'm sure most of my team members are planning on doing…"

Charlotte's mind was finally catching up now, processing what was going on. It seemed that James Stringer was asking her to go to the ball…with him. Had he been planning on doing this, since Tom made the announcement this morning?

"James…" Charlotte muttered, her tone of voice full of uncertainty as she started to feel a little anxious.

"We could just go as friends, if you want," James hurriedly added, perhaps reading the look of apprehension on Charlotte's face. "We could…we could start with that, and see where it takes us…"

Charlotte thought about it. She had not initially considered the possibility of attending the ball with anyone, but it did seem like it was the done thing here, at this company. Even by the end of the staff meeting, her work colleagues had already been making plans about who they would be asking to the ball. What if Charlotte went alone, while all of her colleagues coupled up to attend the ball with a 'plus-one'? Would it make her look like the odd one out, in some way? Would she seem like the new girl who had not really made friends at work yet?

Besides, Charlotte thought, it wasn't like anyone else at work had asked to her to the ball. Nobody had rushed over at the end of the staff meeting to ask her to go with them, and at least an hour had passed since that meeting, and yet nobody had knocked on her office door to speak to her about the possibility of attending with them. This could be her only chance to get to go with someone-someone who had promised to dance most of the dances with her.

Not to mention that she got along well with James. He was so easy to talk to, and Charlotte felt relaxed whenever he was around. They'd had a nice afternoon in Notting Hill a couple of weeks ago, and a nice evening at The Ivy-before the disaster with the photographers, anyway-and it had been fun to pretend to be a tourist with James last weekend, when Alison had visited the city.

The sound of the Beaufort sisters talking and giggling on the other side of the staff room door, from somewhere in the hallway, reminded Charlotte that there were other women who were interested in going to the ball with James Stringer; Charlotte knew that it was a compliment to her, that he'd asked her.

She also knew that she would have fun at the ball with James, and that he wouldn't make any rude comments about the Jane Austen theme, even though he wasn't a fan himself of her works...and he would look nice in a Regency era costume. If it was part of the culture at work to attend staff parties with somebody from the office, then why not James Stringer?

And, James had said that they could just go as friends…

"All right," Charlotte finally agreed with a nod, hoping that she wouldn't regret this decision.

"Really?" James asked her, looking like he could hardly dare to hope.

"Yes...why not," said Charlotte with a smile. "I'm sure it'll be fun, to attend together."

James looked like Christmas had come early. "Thank you, Charlotte," he said, sounding really sincere.

He said a few more things about how much he was looking forward to going to the ball with her as he started to head out of the staff room to go back to work.

* * *

As she had made herself a cup of tea, Charlotte began to wonder if she should be shrieking and jumping up and down right now, like she'd seen other girls do sometimes, after boys had asked them to go to a dance with them.

It wasn't that she wasn't happy about the fact that James had asked her-she was-it was just that she didn't exactly feel overcome with excitement about it, and this thought made her feel a little guilty.

In the end, she decided that she was still feeling a little stressed after the events of the past few weeks, and that this must be the reason why she could not yet allow herself to feel fully enthusiastic about attending the ball arm-in-arm with a handsome work colleague.

After Charlotte had finished drinking her tea, she decided that she'd better head back upstairs to work, as she'd already taken a little longer than usual for her break.

When she stepped out of the staff room and into the hallway however, she was momentarily distracted by the sight of a poster about the Jane Austen ball that Tom must have put up on the wall next to the staff lockers at some point since Charlotte had entered the staff room.

She stopped and stared at the poster as though transfixed, reading all the details such as the time and the date and the location of the ball, her enthusiasm about the event quickly returning.

She was so distracted staring at the poster that she was barely even aware of the sound of footsteps behind her…

"Miss Heywood…"

The sound of that deep voice made Charlotte jump. Slowly, she turned around to see Sidney Parker standing a couple of feet away from her, dressed very smartly in a dark work suit. It seemed that he was taking a break from the meeting that was going on in Tom's office.

All of the memories from two weeks ago started to race through Charlotte's mind on seeing him, as a strange sort of tension seemed to hang in the air between them. Charlotte half expected him to start shouting at her, to continue their argument from where they'd left off, but he didn't do that. He seemed to settle on frowning at her instead.

Charlotte fought to regain her composure. She was not going to be intimidated by him, or beg for his forgiveness after their argument. His words had hurt her, and she could not forget them so easily, and she still believed that he was in the wrong for the way that he had treated Georgiana and Otis.

Sidney looked from Charlotte to the poster on the wall several times, with the typical irritated look on his face. "No doubt this upcoming event will be exactly _your_ sort of thing," he said to Charlotte.

He did not smile or wink like James as he said it. His expression was very serious, almost scathing. He also seemed to be fighting not to roll his eyes.

"I assume _you_ won't be attending, Mr. Parker," said Charlotte as she narrowed her eyes at him, "given that you dislike Jane Austen fans so much…"

"Yet more assumptions, Miss Heywood," said Sidney, with an impatient sounding sigh.

The two of them glared at each other for a few moments.

"After all," Sidney added, "I would not deprive myself of the amusement of being in the presence of an avid Jane Austen fan at a Jane Austen ball…"

Charlotte felt a little hurt by his words. They served as a painful reminder to her that this was most likely the only reason why Sidney bothered to talk to her in the first place-because he was amused by her Jane Austen obsession. After all, had he not made it perfectly clear to her two weeks ago that he had no interest in her as a person?

"Is that all I am to you?" Charlotte asked him, unable to mask the sadness in her voice this time. "A source of amusement?"

"What? No, of course not!" Sidney answered her immediately, sounding both surprised and annoyed by Charlotte's question. He really seemed to be in a rush to deny it. "Anyway," he continued, as though brushing Charlotte's concerns to one side, "that is beside the point right now…"

Charlotte frowned at him. She was fairly certain that his not-so-kind thoughts about her were _exactly_ the point right now. What else did he have to talk about that was so important?

"Miss Heywood," said Sidney with another sigh, as Charlotte continued to frown at him, "I am aware that the circumstances are not ideal right now, given the timing of this event, and our other…issues…"

Charlotte wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but Sidney's body language almost looked a little nervous, a little uncomfortable now, especially at the mention of the current 'issues' between the two of them, even though he seemed to be doing his best to disguise it.

What was going on? What was he about to say?

"However," Sidney continued, after a brief pause, "perhaps, if we could put our differences to one side-for one weekend, at least-you would consider the possibility of the two of us attending the ball together?"

Charlotte stared at Sidney Parker in shock as he finished his sentence. Was she imagining things, or had he really just asked her to go to the ball with him?

Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. What was happening? Was there something that she was missing here? Something that she wasn't picking up on? Was this some kind of cruel joke on Sidney's part?

"B-but… _why_?" Charlotte couldn't help asking him, still feeling completely befuddled.

"I would have thought that that would have been obvious," said Sidney, the irritation and the impatience back in his voice now.

But it wasn't obvious, not to Charlotte. Only two weeks ago, he'd told her that he didn't care about what she thought, or about how she felt.

" _In fact, I don't care at all…_ " he had told her.

And now, after he'd said all of those unpleasant words in the park so recently, he was asking her to a ball. Who _did t_ hat?

But, was he seriously asking her, or was he simply obliged to attend the staff party and therefore hoping that Charlotte would amuse him enough by her Austen obsession to get him through the tedium of an evening in the Assembly Rooms? Had he not said as much, at the beginning of their conversation? Or, perhaps even more embarrassingly, was this Sidney's strange way of trying to make things up to her after their argument? Had Tom told him that he had to find a way to make amends, to avoid any issues at work, and this was his way of resolving the matter? By 'allowing' Charlotte to attend a ball with him that he didn't even care about attending in the first place?

Sidney seemed to be watching her intently, waiting for some sort of response.

The hallway suddenly started to feel too warm; Charlotte's heart was beating so fast, she could barely focus. She still felt so angry after their argument, and now she was so confused…

"I still don't understand," Charlotte confessed.

"Are you really that naïve?" Sidney snapped at her.

Charlotte recoiled at his words. Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to find a way to insult her and look down on her just when he was starting to show a hint of vulnerability? The same thing seemed to happen over and over, every time they interacted.

Charlotte hated that he thought this way about her; that he thought that she was just a naïve girl who couldn't see past her Jane Austen novels in order to truly comprehend the world around her.

"I have agreed to attend the ball with James Stringer," Charlotte told him, in a tone that was a little harsher than she would have liked. Sidney's reference to her naiveté had provoked an anger in her that had caused her to snap at him. Still, she could barely even look Sidney in the eye as she shared this news with him.

The expression on Sidney's face as Charlotte spoke was unreadable; Charlotte wondered if he'd had a lot of practice in hiding his emotions over the years. However, he also seemed to be lost in thought, considering something, putting two and two together…

"Of course you have," he responded to Charlotte after a few long, tense moments.

Charlotte wondered what he'd been thinking about just then. Had he been picturing the photos of Charlotte and James, holding hands outside The Ivy? Or the photos that Charlotte had uploaded to Instagram of her and James in Notting Hill? Or maybe the more recent photos of Charlotte and James and Alison and Georgiana touring around London? Surely he had seen all of those photos by now. What conclusion had he drawn on seeing them? Had Charlotte's response just confirmed his suspicions?

"Forgive me if I have caused any offence," said Sidney, his tone more distant now, yet a little more apologetic...regretful, even. "Excuse me," he then said as he started to take steps away from Charlotte and back towards Tom's office. He looked like he couldn't wait to get away from this conversation; away from her.

Charlotte felt like she was frozen to the spot as she watched him go.

As Sidney opened Tom's office door, the Beaufort sisters instantly came into view. They must have been waiting in Tom's office to have a meeting with Sidney about the company finances. From how close they were standing to the door, and the way they leapt back as soon as it was opened, Charlotte worked out that they had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Sidney, no doubt with their ears pressed up against the door. Charlotte felt mortified at the very thought of it. She was already feeling a little upset, and she really didn't want to be the subject of any office gossip.

* * *

Charlotte didn't hang around to hear what Sidney had to say to Julia and Phillida Beaufort. She took the stairs two at a time on her way back to her office, slamming the door behind her as soon as she was safely inside.

Charlotte leaned against the door with her eyes closed for a few long moments as she took several deep breaths and tried to process what had just happened.

_He didn't mean it_ , she told herself.

_It was some sort of joke; some new, 'clever' way of insulting her; or perhaps some strange way of trying to save face after the argument._

_He doesn't even_ like _Jane Austen, for heaven's sake!_

_Besides, you're still so angry with him…why would you have ever said yes?_

_But what if he_ did _mean it?_ another nagging voice in Charlotte's head started to ask her.

_No_ , insisted the more rational voice in Charlotte's head. That was impossible, wasn't it? And, why did it matter so much, anyway?

* * *

If Charlotte had thought that her concentration had been poor at the start of the day, then it was nothing to how it was for the rest of the morning. She spent at least an hour sitting at her desk with her head in her hands, trying to process everything that had happened over the course of the morning, and unable to make any sense of her thoughts.

By lunch time, she was almost dreading heading back downstairs to the staff room, as much as she tried to tell herself that she was just being silly.

She waited a little longer than usual before heading downstairs, in the hope that the staff room would be quieter by the time she headed down there; she really didn't want to speak to anyone right now.

There didn't appear to be anyone in the hallway as Charlotte crept down the stairs, and the door to Tom's office was closed.

As Charlotte entered the staff room, she thought for a brief moment that it was also empty, but it wasn't long before she saw that the Beaufort sisters were standing on the other side of the room, the two of them whispering rapidly to one another as they made coffee.

Charlotte sighed. The two of them seemed to be on a break from their meeting with Tom, Mary and Sidney, and it looked like they were indulging in a bit of gossip in the staff room.

The second they noticed that Charlotte was in the staff room, their whispering suddenly stopped, and they both turned to look at her. Charlotte now seemed to have their full attention, which made her feel rather uncomfortable.

"Are you _mad_ , Charlotte Heywood?" Julia asked her, before Charlotte could say anything to her.

"Excuse me?" said Charlotte with a frown. She didn't think that it was very polite, or very politically correct, to ask a work colleague if they were mad.

"Sidney Parker _never_ asks _anyone_ out on dates," Julia's sister, Phillida answered her, as Charlotte looked at her in wide-eyed shock, feeling completely bewildered.

"Well, he hasn't for the past two years, anyway," said Julia, speaking very fast.

"We had an office poll going on about it," said Phillida, the longing tone in her voice suggesting that she was one of many women at the office who had been hoping to be asked on a date by Sidney Parker.

"And before that, he was dating his ex-girlfriend," said Julia, with an envious sounding sigh. "And we heard that _she_ was the one to ask _him_ out, at the time…"

"And now, out of nowhere, he asks _you_ to a _ball_ in Bath," said Phillida, looking like she could hardly believe it. "In _Bath_ ," she repeated, like this information was very important, "where the two of you will potentially have a _whole weekend_ together, and you _turn him down_?"

Charlotte fought off a furious blush at their words, barely even processing the reasons behind their apparent shock and irritation about her recent decision. She wasn't sure what was embarrassing her the most about what they'd just said, although she could infer from what they'd said about a 'whole weekend' in Bath that they were _not_ talking about the extra time that a couple would have to see the sights there.

"Oh, no, it's not like that," Charlotte rushed to explain, feeling like she had to clear this misunderstanding up. She would have to put an end to this now, before the sisters started to spread gossip to everyone in the building. "Sidney Parker only asked me to the ball as some sort of joke," she said. "He doesn't even want to go to the ball, but he thought it would be amusing, to attend the ball with a Jane Austen fan…"

Charlotte would have explained further, but from the way that the two sisters looked at one another as she spoke-as though Charlotte really were mad-she decided that it would be pointless.

"If you say so," Phillida eventually responded to her, her tone of voice patronising.

The Beaufort sisters looked at Charlotte as though she were a naïve little girl who couldn't possibility understand the ins and outs of romance, let alone the inner workings of Sidney Parker's heart.

Charlotte's embarrassment was rapidly being replaced by irritation. She glared at the Beaufort sisters as they gave her one last patronising look before they headed towards the staff room door.

The sound of their giggling as they stepped into the hallway then turned Charlotte's irritation into anger.

"There are other men at this company, apart from Sidney Parker, you know!" she shouted after them as she followed them into the hallway.

To Charlotte's utter mortification, the moment she reached the doorway, she saw that Sidney Parker himself was standing in the hallway, leaning against Tom's office door as he watched Charlotte with an irritated expression on his face. No doubt he had heard what Charlotte had just shouted about him.

"What an insightful observation, Miss Heywood," Sidney told her, his tone of voice full of sarcasm. "How would this company ever survive, without your meaningful input?" With that, he headed back into Tom's office, closing the door behind him and leaving Charlotte to feel annoyed and embarrassed all over again.

Georgiana chose that moment to walk down the stairs. "What's going on down here?" she asked Charlotte with a frown. "I heard shouting…"

Charlotte had never before felt so relieved to see her. "Can we go out somewhere, for lunch?" she asked Georgiana, her tone of voice full of desperation.

Georgiana must have picked up on something in Charlotte's facial expression, because a concerned look suddenly seemed to cross her face. "Charlotte, is everything okay?" she asked her, speaking more softly than she usually did.

"I'm fine," Charlotte lied. "I just need to get away from work for a little while…"

The look on Georgiana's face suggested that she didn't really believe her, but she seemed to decide to play along all the same.

"There's a sandwich shop not too far from here," Georgiana started to tell her. "It about ten minutes' walk-"

"Let's go there," Charlotte said instantly. She was prepared to go anywhere to get away from the building, if only for a little while.

* * *

As they headed out of the building and started to walk in the direction of the sandwich shop, Charlotte told Georgiana about how she had agreed to go to the ball with James. She thought it would be better just to get it out of the way and tell her, rather than have Georgiana hear about it through office gossip.

"But he said we could just go as friends," Charlotte rushed to explain, before Georgiana could jump to any conclusions.

"Ha! It'll be more than friendship that he's after," Georgiana said straight away, like she was thinking out loud. Her tone was a little abrupt.

Charlotte felt a little hurt again, and more than a little anxious. Georgiana had just spoken to her in the same tone that the Beaufort sisters had used with her; like she thought that Charlotte was deliberately being silly and naïve.

Charlotte was just about to say something to Georgiana about what she'd said when she was distracted by the sight of Edward, who seemed to be swaggering towards the two of them.

"Georgiana!" he called out, his tone of voice sounding both confident and arrogant.

Georgiana let out a heavy sigh on catching sight of Edward. "Leave this to me," she told Charlotte as she walked away from her and towards Edward, like she was trying to put a little distance between herself and her friend, so that Charlotte would be spared from overhearing her exchange with Edward.

Edward seemed to leer at Georgiana as she approached. "Georgiana," he repeated, "I heard about the little ball that you and your work colleagues are planning on attending…" (He said it like he considered the event to be entirely beneath him, but he was prepared to humour Georgiana anyway.) "And I was thinking," he added, with a drawl to his voice, "that it would be _perfect_ if you and I attended together…"

"Why?" Georgiana asked him as she folded arms and raised her eyebrow.

Edward looked a little flustered by this question. Charlotte heard him mumble something about how much the two of them had in common.

"Really? Like what?" said Georgiana, sounding less than impressed.

"W-well," Edward spluttered, apparently thrown by the question. He started to say something about how they moved in the same social circles, and how good they would look together at the ball, and how much attention they would both get, if he and Georgiana were seen and photographed at a formal event together.

"You'll have to do better than that," Georgiana told Edward with disdain in her voice. With that, she turned on her heel and walked away from him before he could say anything else.

"Let's go," she prompted Charlotte, who was still looking at Edward and feeling baffled by the exchange between him and Georgiana.

"Does he like you?" Charlotte asked Georgiana as soon as Edward was out of sight. She was a little curious as to why Edward seemed to pursue Georgiana so relentlessly.

"He likes my money," Georgiana answered Charlotte, still sounding a bit annoyed.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Georgiana looked a little upset about something, and Charlotte assumed that she was distressed by Edward's attempts to ask her to the ball in the middle of a busy street, but then Georgiana stopped walking and turned to look right at Charlotte…

"I'm sorry," she said slowly, "if I came across a little abrupt just then, when you were talking to me about James Stringer." She really did sound like she meant it, and her expression was apologetic. "It's just," she said, sounding more hesitant now, like she was debating saying anything at all, "you are both good friends of mine, and James has been through a lot this past year, and I don't want anyone to get hurt..."

Charlotte nodded in agreement, even though she didn't really understand exactly what Georgiana was trying to tell her. Still, she couldn't help feeling an uncomfortable twist of guilt as Georgiana talked about James.

Another silence passed between them.

"The strangest thing happened earlier today…" Charlotte eventually told Georgiana as she fell into step next to her. She tried her best to keep her tone of voice light, casual, as though the two of them were simply making small talk about the weather.

"Really, what?" Georgiana asked, in the same way that she often asked Charlotte about her daily work tasks. Clearly, she expected Charlotte to tell her something boring about her work.

"Sidney Parker asked me to go to the ball with him," said Charlotte.

She hadn't been planning on saying anything to anyone about this, but in the end she'd decided that she just had to tell _someone_ , just to see how they would react to this news. She had a feeling that Georgiana's reaction on hearing this would tell her everything she needed to know.

"Why ever would he do that?" Georgiana asked her, her expression showing both confusion and amusement as she shook her head in apparent disbelief, before she became distracted by the sight of the sandwich shop up ahead.

Georgiana's reaction only served to confirm to Charlotte what she had thought all along. Of course Sidney hadn't been serious about asking her; of course he hadn't actually meant it. The look on Georgiana's face seemed to suggest that the very idea of it was ludicrous.

"Exactly," Charlotte responded with a forced smile, like this was all just an amusing joke that she was sharing with her friend. "Why ever would he do that?"


	7. Chapter 7

As the week went on, it seemed that the Jane Austen ball was all that everyone at work could talk about. The usual work tasks had almost been put on hold as people spent their time discussing dances and partners and costumes and places to visit in Bath. Even Georgiana seemed to be strangely enthusiastic about the upcoming ball, although Charlotte suspected that this was for other reasons.

Charlotte had expected (or maybe just hoped) that James Stringer would have been discreet about the fact that she had agreed to go to the ball with him, especially as she had only really agreed to the two of them attending as friends, but it had not worked out that way. It turned out that he had told Fred that he was going with Charlotte, and Fred had told several of his friends, who had then told several of _their_ friends. By Tuesday afternoon, everybody in the building seemed to know that James had asked Charlotte to the ball, and that Charlotte had said yes. Several of Charlotte and James's colleagues even made a point of stopping in Charlotte's office doorway every time they passed to try to talk and gossip with her about her decision to attend the ball with James Stringer, while Charlotte fought to deflect their all too personal questions.

By Wednesday morning, Charlotte was already getting the distinct feeling that the whole event was rapidly starting to spiral out of her control.

* * *

Tom had organised for dance lessons to be held in the staff room at lunchtimes, for those who wished to attend, so that his employees had the opportunity to learn all of the popular dance routines from the Regency era in advance of the ball.

Charlotte already knew most of the dance steps off by heart, due to all the Jane Austen adaptations that she had watched, and all the Regency era dance routines that she had learnt with her sister over the years, but still, she decided that it couldn't hurt to practise a little, and she was usually the first to arrive in the staff room for the lunch time dance lessons.

Surprisingly, James Stringer agreed to attend these dance lessons with Charlotte. It seemed that he was keeping to his end of their 'agreement' by truly getting into the spirit of the Regency era, and by not making any sarcastic comments about what all of that entailed. He even seemed to shrug off the gentle mockery from several of his male friends at work about his decision to attend dance lessons with Charlotte almost every lunch time.

James turned out to be a surprisingly good dancer. He took the lead and manoeuvred the two of them around the small amount of floor space they had to work with in the staff room with ease and grace, as though he'd danced with partners in the middle of dance floors many times before. He picked up the steps quite quickly, and Charlotte often spotted several women watching him with admiration on their faces as he and Charlotte practised their dance steps.

The dance lessons ended up being rather enjoyable. Charlotte and James shared a few laughs as Tom repeatedly chanted, "One, two, three, one, two, three…" in time to the beat of the music, trying to lead everyone through each dance routine as he moved his hands like some sort of music conductor trying to direct them all. "This is the strangest place I've ever worked at," Charlotte whispered to James with a grin during one of the daily dance lessons, while Tom was in the middle of his chanting, although she only meant it affectionately.

In the brief pauses that they had to sit on the staff room chairs and eat lunch, James told Charlotte about how his mother had taught him to dance when he was much younger. It seemed that Mrs Stringer had been ambitious for her son, and she'd hoped that James would one day attend formal events in London, and so she'd wanted him to learn how to dance. Charlotte got the impression from the sad, distant look on James's face as he spoke about his family that his father didn't exactly have the same sort of ambitions for him, and that James had perhaps not attended any formal events since his mother had passed away.

As though trying to lighten the mood, James then started to joke about how his dancing ability had impressed various girlfriends during his teenage years, and they'd apparently all enjoyed going to school dances with him. For all his joking and grinning and shrugging, Charlotte had no trouble believing him.

The distraction of the dance lessons almost took Charlotte's mind off her memory of Sidney Parker asking her to the ball-for a little while, anyway-and she was almost relieved that Sidney had not reappeared in the building since then.

* * *

Things were almost beginning to seem relaxed and light-hearted again, until Charlotte arrived at work on Thursday morning, and the first thing she saw when she headed over to her locker was that a red rose had been left just outside her locker door, propped up by the metal lock.

Charlotte might have stared at the rose in confusion for a few moments, but it didn't take her long to work out who it had been from...she remembered her exchange with James in Notting Hill almost three weeks ago, after a man had passed a red rose across a restaurant table to his girlfriend, and Charlotte had confessed that she was becoming cynical about real-life romantic gestures.

Was this his joking way of letting her know that real-life romance did in fact exist?

Charlotte felt her heart sink. It had been so easy, at first, to tell herself that James was just trying to be her friend; to convince herself that his apparent dislike of Sidney was due to a combination of jealousy over his wealth, and the influence of Georgiana poisoning his mind against him, but now, it was becoming more difficult to live in denial.

Begrudgingly, Charlotte thought about how Georgiana had perhaps been right about James's feelings all along, even though she had not exactly shared her theories with Charlotte in the most tactful way.

Whatever else she thought about the red rose, Charlotte couldn't deny that James Stringer definitely seemed to be trying to let her know that he was looking forward to attending the ball with her, and he really seemed to be hopeful that Charlotte was going to have a good time there, too.

Charlotte sighed. This idea did not make her feel as happy as she'd thought it would. The rose was beautiful, of course, and Charlotte was sure that it would look very pretty, displayed on her desk at work or in her flat, but, if anything, the sudden appearance of a red rose outside her locker made her feel a little anxious.

How would she react, Charlotte wondered as she held the rose almost delicately in her hand, if James asked her on a date after the ball was over? What would she do, if he admitted to having romantic feelings for her?

Charlotte really felt like she'd got herself into a mess.

Another thought occurred to her as she started to walk upstairs, with the rose still held in her hand…if James had so easily placed a flower on her locker door, then did that mean that he was the one who was placing items _inside_ her locker, too?

Did Charlotte now have more evidence that it was James who was leaving the books in her locker?

* * *

Apart from attending dance lessons in the staff room, Charlotte mostly kept her head down and got on with her work for the rest of the week, while at the same time trying to tune out all the conversations going on around her about the upcoming ball.

Every day, Charlotte arrived at work at least half an hour before everyone else, and she was usually the last to leave at the end of each day, due to being so engrossed in her work.

* * *

In spite of feeling exhausted after work, Charlotte's sleep was frequently disturbed throughout the week, as she seemed to be having the dream more and more often.

Now, the people in her dream ballroom seemed to be more in focus; she was almost certain that she could make out the faces of Georgiana and Otis in her more recent dreams, as well as Tom and Mary, all of them standing around her in a circle formation and watching as her dream self danced with the mysterious man in a mask.

Although, Charlotte wondered to herself, during the early hours of Friday morning, when she had awoken from her dream just before she could see the mysterious stranger's face, perhaps the appearance of these people in her dream was a simple consequence of the fact that they had been on her mind a lot lately.

* * *

As much as she was looking forward to the ball, by Friday afternoon, Charlotte had already grown tired of all of the gossip and speculation at work over who would be attending with whom. She found herself counting down the hours until the end of the day, and, at five o'clock, for the first time all week, she was one of the first people to leave the building.

For a few moments, she contemplated heading straight back to her flat and getting lost in her reading, or working on her blog, or completing her almost finished sketch of Mr. Knightley for the rest of the evening, but in the end, she decided that she couldn't avoid the coffee shop forever, and she really did want a cup of tea, even if she only ordered a takeout drink. Besides, there was every possibility that Sidney Parker wouldn't be there; no doubt he would want to avoid her at all costs, after their awkward exchange at the start of the week.

Quickly, Charlotte changed direction and started to walk towards the local Starbucks.

* * *

There was quite a long line of customers waiting to order their drinks when Charlotte arrived at the coffee shop.

Charlotte joined the back of the line, feeling relieved (yet also strangely disappointed, for some reason) that Sidney Parker did not appear to be at the coffee shop.

She tried to focus on the drinks menu, which was displayed on the wall behind the counter, but after a couple of minutes, her eyes started to wonder, until they fell upon Sidney's friends, Crowe and Babington, who were sitting at a table not too far from the counter. Charlotte felt a bit surprised at seeing them; she hadn't noticed them when she'd first arrived at the coffee shop; perhaps they'd only just got here. On seeing her, the two men waved politely, and Charlotte waved back.

Almost without thinking about it, her eyes started to dart all over the coffee shop, checking to see if Sidney was here, too-he never seemed to be far from his two friends.

As she glanced over her shoulder, Charlotte suddenly spotted Sidney Parker through the coffee shop's glass window. He was outside, on the other side of the road, and he appeared to be deep in conversation with Edward, of all people. The look on Edward's face, and his body language, seemed to suggest that he was sharing several of his troubles with Sidney, while Sidney Parker's expression as he listened to him was unreadable.

Charlotte frowned. Again, she wondered why Sidney appeared to share some sort of friendship with Edward, especially when Georgiana really didn't seem to like him, and from what Charlotte had seen, Edward seemed to look down on people who were poorer than him, and he acted like he didn't have much respect for women.

Sidney and Edward walked out of view of the coffee shop window, and Charlotte's attention was again diverted when she caught sight of Esther, who was sitting at a table in the corner of the coffee shop with her back to the window, apparently oblivious to the exchange that was going on outside.

After Esther had finished her cup of coffee, she started to get up slowly out of her seat. Her face seemed to be set, as though she'd just made a decision about something.

Almost tentatively, she started to walk over to the table where Babington and Crowe were sitting.

"I see that Lord Babington Senior managed to get the education reform bill presented to Parliament," Charlotte heard Esther say as she arrived at the table and gently, carefully, pulled an empty seat towards her, so that she could sit down next to Babington. She did not wait to be invited to sit down. "No doubt it'll be made into an Act of Parliament soon…"

Crowe might have frowned at Esther's words, a look of total bewilderment on his face, but Charlotte understood exactly what was going on. Esther was clearly very nervous about sitting next to Babington at his table-no doubt the gesture meant more to her than it would seem to a casual observer-and she was therefore trying to keep the conversation casual, light; it must have been easier for her to talk about the latest Parliamentary news than to say anything personal to Babington.

Babington, who up until Esther's arrival had been talking animatedly to Crowe, full of confidence and with a captive audience, suddenly looked very nervous and very flustered. Another look seemed to pass over his face, too, and Charlotte could tell that he understood what Esther was doing, and he sensed that she was nervous.

"Ah, yes," he said with a jovial smile, as though trying to regain his composure. "My father saves the day again!"

Esther managed a smile at that, and before long, she and the two men were sharing a conversation about the House of Lords and the battle Babington's father had faced to get his education bill approved.

Although she felt a little tense, Charlotte couldn't help smiling at Esther and Babington, feeling happy on their behalf. It felt like something had changed between the two of them recently, and for the better.

The sight of Sidney outside the coffee shop a few minutes ago prompted Charlotte to ask for a takeout drink when it was her turn to place her order; she knew that there was every possibility that Sidney would come into the coffee shop to see his friends after his conversation with Edward was over, and Charlotte was sure that it would be very awkward, if the two of them ended up sitting at tables close to one another, especially in light of recent events. She highly doubted that she would be able to enjoy her drink, in those circumstances, and she therefore thought it would be easier to leave as soon as possible, and drink her tea on her way back to her flat.

She ordered a London Fog Tea Latte this time, and then she went to wait by the drinks machine.

Almost automatically, Charlotte went to take her book out of her bag to read it while she waited for her drink. She had been carrying _Northanger Abbey_ around with her all week, in the hope of finding a spare minute to read, and she'd hoped to find the time to read at least another chapter this evening. She had barely opened her book however, when a barista called out to let her know that her drink was ready-it had been prepared much faster than usual this evening.

Hastily putting her book back in her bag, Charlotte thanked the barista and picked up her takeout cup, already preparing to make a quick exit from the coffee shop.

The moment she turned around however, Charlotte froze with her cup in her hand when she saw that Sidney Parker was standing almost right behind her, with a very serious expression on his face. It seemed that he had arrived at Starbucks while Charlotte had been waiting by the drinks machine.

Charlotte felt her face heat up in her embarrassment. She also felt a little annoyed with herself-how had she not seen him coming through the coffee shop's main door? How had she not seen that he was already standing so close to her? She would have preferred to have had some notice of his approach, so that she could have mentally prepared herself.

She wondered if he felt as awkward as she did right now. Not only were the memories of their argument in the park still fresh, but they now had the added tension of Sidney's rather ambiguous attempt to ask Charlotte to the Jane Austen ball a few days ago. Charlotte really didn't know how she should be reacting to any of it; she had never experienced any of this before.

Sidney let out a long sigh, as though really wanting to make it obvious just how irritated he was on seeing Charlotte. "Yet again, I can't escape you," he muttered, his voice full of exasperation.

Charlotte couldn't help glaring at him. It wasn't like she was thrilled to see him right now either, given the circumstances. But still, she was determined to remain calm and dignified, especially as she could see that Crowe and Babington were now watching the two of them with interest.

Charlotte squared her shoulders and held her head high. Sidney was not going to antagonise her into another argument with his rudeness. Not here. Not now. "Mr. Parker," she greeted Sidney politely, her tone distant, professional, aloof. It was just like how one work colleague would greet another.

Charlotte was not sure that she could say much else of substance to Sidney Parker right now, especially as the words of the Beaufort sisters from earlier in the week seemed to be swimming around her head, adding to her sense of confusion. Not to mention that her hands were shaking as she held her takeout cup tight.

With another polite nod, Charlotte stepped around Sidney Parker so that she had a clear path to the exit.

She had only taken a couple of steps however when she heard the sound of Crowe's voice…

"Oh, won't you be joining us?" he called out to Charlotte from where he was sitting at his table, with no hint of mockery in his voice. It seemed that he and Babington had just assumed that Sidney would invite Charlotte to come and sit with them, especially now that Esther had also joined them, and Crowe actually sounded surprised that it didn't seem like this would be the case.

Charlotte wondered why this was such a surprise to Sidney's friend. Did Crowe (and Babington) think that something had changed in Sidney and Charlotte's dynamic recently, for Sidney to be inviting her to join their table? Did they think that Sidney had Charlotte had established some sort of friendship over the past few weeks?

"Oh, no, that's-" Charlotte rushed to answer, trying to find the right words to politely decline the invitation.

"Oh, please do join us," Charlotte heard Esther say as she leaned forward a little in her seat. "It would be nice to hear some intelligent conversation at this table for a change…"

Both Crowe and Babington made a big show of widening their eyes and looking offended at Esther's words, but Charlotte could tell from Esther's tone of voice, and the men's exaggerated reactions, that she was only joking-or that there was affection behind her insult, at least.

Charlotte however did not feel like laughing. Esther's invitation had put her in an awkward position. She would probably look a little rude now, if she refused the invitation to join the table, and she would feel a bit guilty about leaving Esther alone with the three friends and their banter, especially when Esther seemed to be a bit nervous at being this close to Babington.

"You're welcome to join us," Sidney told Charlotte curtly as he glanced quickly at his friends, before he looked back at Charlotte, his expression closed off, unreadable. It sounded like every word was costing him a great effort.

Charlotte sighed. Of course, he would have to say that, now that Esther had put him on the spot. Charlotte suspected that he simply did not want to appear rude in front of his friends, and she highly doubted that he truly wanted to spend any more time with her than necessary this evening, after everything that had happened since Charlotte had run into him in Regent's Park.

"Fine," Charlotte eventually responded with a sigh. What choice did she have now? She would just stay for a little while-drink her cup of tea and then make her excuses and leave.

She walked towards the table and sat down slowly and tentatively in the only available seat left at the table, feeling a little awkward at sitting at a table with a takeout cup in her hands, and making sure not to sit too close to Sidney. She felt as nervous as Esther had looked a few minutes ago.

Perhaps sensing her nerves, Esther and Babington seemed to go out of their way to make her feel more comfortable. They asked her a few general questions about how she was finding life in London, and how she was liking her new job at the architecture company, and Charlotte tried her best to give them general responses, so as not to refer to any people or situations in particular.

Sidney sat in silence for most of this initial conversation, looking as though he would rather be anywhere else, while Charlotte refrained from rolling her eyes at him. His demeanour this evening was different to how it had been a few weeks ago, when he'd last been here with his friends; he'd seemed much happier then.

During the times when Esther, Crowe and Babington talked to each other about the people they knew, and the places they frequented in London that Charlotte had not yet been to, Charlotte found herself glancing almost longingly at her copy of _Northanger Abbey_ , still visible in her bag on the back of her seat.

As she glanced at her book for what had to be the fifth time, Charlotte had the distinct feeling that somebody was watching her.

She turned to see that Sidney Parker was also looking at her book-it seemed that his eyes had followed Charlotte's gaze.

" _Northanger Abbey_ ," he muttered, sounding like he was deep in thought. His friends continued to talk to each other, apparently oblivious to the fact that neither Charlotte nor Sidney were currently involved in their conversation. "A novel about an unlikely protagonist who is prone to making misguided assumptions," Sidney continued. "How interesting."

Charlotte couldn't help glaring at Sidney after he'd made that comment. What did that even mean? Had he aimed that comment at her, somehow? Was he seriously trying to indirectly insult her through his comments on a book that she adored? Even now, after everything else that had happened between them over the past few weeks?

"I won't be goaded into another argument with you," Charlotte told him in a furious whisper. Now that the awkwardness over Sidney's strange attempt to ask her to the Jane Austen ball was starting to wear off a little, Charlotte's anger about the way he'd spoken to her in the park was rapidly starting to return, especially as Sidney still seemed to be determined to insult her.

"But I'm sure you have plenty of thoughts of your own about your latest novel," said Sidney, looking almost surprised now that Charlotte was not rushing to contradict him or give her own opinion on the themes of _Northanger Abbey_. "Come, share them with me." His tone of voice of was almost commanding now, although there seemed to be a hint of amusement there, too-or maybe it was just exasperation, Charlotte wasn't exactly sure.

There was one thing she _was_ sure of though-she was not going to allow herself to continue to be a source of amusement for someone who didn't actually care about what she thought.

"As you have no interest in my opinion," she told Sidney, "I won't trouble you with it." She made sure to meet his gaze, trying to tell him through her firm facial expression that she remembered exactly what he had said to her, and that she would not forget his words so easily. Perhaps other women were typically quick to forgive his harsh words, what with him being so handsome, but Charlotte was not prepared to overlook his unpleasant behaviour. "Why not just try to be more civil?" she suggested. "It would make things so much easier."

For a moment, Sidney almost looked humbled, but then the stern, guarded expression returned to his face.

"Well said," Sidney replied after a brief pause, with a definite hint of sarcasm in his voice now.

"Sidney," Charlotte heard Esther say to him from across the table, with what sounded like a mock sternness in her voice, "are you being rude and unpleasant, as usual?"

Charlotte expected Sidney to get annoyed by Esther's comment, but the expression on his face did not suggest that this was the case.

"I could never hope to take you on in the game of being rude to others, Esther," Sidney told her, with definite amusement behind his sarcastic-sounding words now.

Charlotte was a little surprised by this exchange. Sidney's amused response to Esther's words suggested that he allowed comments like this to pass when he was among his friends; that he allowed his friends to be more direct with him; that he could laugh at himself more, when he was with them.

Charlotte then expected Esther to look offended by Sidney's response to her, as she always looked so upset by everything that _Edward_ said to her, but she simply smirked at his comment; she looked almost pleased with herself, that Sidney considered her able to outdo him in rudeness.

Charlotte wondered if this was how the group of friends talked to each other all the time; perhaps some of their insults were only meant affectionately.

Esther quickly returned her attention to Babington, while Sidney focused his attention on Charlotte again.

He sighed before he spoke: " _Northanger Abbey_ is in fact a satire of the typical Gothic novels that were so popular during Jane Austen's time," he declared, as though reciting from a piece of text. "Although this is perhaps not immediately understood by modern day readers…"

Charlotte rolled her eyes at him, although a little of her anger had melted away now. She knew that Sidney knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to offer some sort of commentary on _Northanger Abbey_ of his own; he was trying to give opinions that would provoke Charlotte into engaging in a discussion or a debate with him.

Annoyingly, in other circumstances, Charlotte would have been interested to hear what he had to say. She had done a lot of research of her own into the Gothic references in _Northanger Abbey_ , and there was plenty that she could say about the novel's origins. Not to mention that she hardly ever encountered people in real life who not only understood this story of Jane Austen's so well, but were also prepared to hear her opinions on it. It was therefore a shame that she didn't feel comfortable about engaging in a literary debate with Sidney Parker just yet, for fear that he would suggest that she was naïve, or that he would again imply that he only talked to her because he found her interest in Jane Austen amusing. She really felt like she should hold out for some sort of apology from Sidney, before she indulged him in these literary debates again.

Charlotte suddenly noticed that Crowe was watching the exchange between her and Sidney…

"What do you think about Tom's plans for the company to attend a Jane Austen ball in Bath?" Charlotte asked Crowe, turning slightly in her seat to face him, before Sidney could say anything else. She needed a distraction from Sidney, in case he did manage to tempt her into some sort of debate, and she felt like a discussion about the staff party with Crowe would be a safe topic right now.

On seeing that her attention was now focused on Crowe, Sidney shook his head, looking a little exasperated, but Charlotte ignored him.

Crowe looked a little shocked on being asked a question by Charlotte about the upcoming staff party, but he seemed to quickly recover himself. "Personally, _I_ think it's a wonderful idea!" he told Charlotte, sounding genuinely enthusiastic.

"You do?" Charlotte asked him, feeling a little surprised by his enthusiasm. His reaction certainly didn't match the reactions of most of the men at the office.

"Of course," said Crowe, his grin quickly turning into a smirk. "After all, what could be better than a room full of attractive women dressed in costumes? And I'm sure that _you'll_ suit your costume very well…"

The remark definitely sounded flirtatious, especially as Crowe seemed to look Charlotte up and down as he finished speaking, before he smiled again.

Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte could see that Sidney was glaring at Crowe. If Charlotte had thought that Sidney had been glaring at _her_ during some of their previous encounters, then it was nothing to how he was looking at his friend right now. Charlotte wondered if there had perhaps not been as much malice as she had previously thought, behind a few of the looks that Sidney had given her over the past few weeks, given the way he was looking at Crowe right now.

Perhaps sensing Charlotte's sudden embarrassment, Esther rolled her eyes at Crowe's antics and quickly cut into the conversation: "Well, I'm sure you and your colleagues will enjoy yourselves…I hear that Bath is a nice place to visit…"

"I thought you hated _any_ place outside of London," said Crowe as he turned to look at Esther with a confused-looking frown.

"Well, you thought wrong," Esther responded with a pointed look at Crowe, as though silently asking him not to contradict her right now.

"No, I'm fairly certain I'm right," Crowe protested, not taking the hint. "After all," he added with a long-suffering sigh, "we have all had to endure your long speeches disparaging any and every place that you insist will _never_ match up to London's high standards…"

As Crowe and Esther started to bicker, Charlotte managed to catch Esther's eye. Discreetly, she smiled gratefully at her, silently letting her know that she was thankful for her attempts to create a distraction from Crowe's attentions.

Esther smiled back at her. Now, she looked nowhere near as intimidating as she had looked when Charlotte had first visited the coffee shop during her first week in London.

Charlotte was distracted when she noticed James's friend, Fred, who was standing by the coffee machine. He waved over at Charlotte while attempting to balance two takeout cups in his hands.

Happy for an excuse to get away from the table for a couple of minutes, Charlotte got up from her seat and walked over to go and say hello to Fred.

While Charlotte was still just within earshot of the table, she heard Sidney, who had been rather quiet for the past couple of minutes, start to speak…

"Don't even think about it, Crowe!" she heard Sidney snap at his friend.

Charlotte jumped, feeling a little taken aback by his words. She had witnessed Sidney getting angry several times, but now, there was a fury to his tone that she had not heard before. Was he really so annoyed about what Crowe had just said to her?

Crowe, however, did not seem to be intimated. "Relax, Parker," he told Sidney, sounding like he had already taken a few sips of drink from the silver flask he carried around with him at some point this evening. "It's just a little light flirtation…you should try it sometime…"

"I mean it!" Sidney snapped at him, still sounding angry.

Charlotte missed out on the rest of the exchange between Crowe and Sidney, because Fred started to talk to her the moment she approached him.

They talked for a little while about the ball, and Fred insisted that he was looking forward to it, even though Jane Austen really wasn't his thing. He told Charlotte that he was bringing his girlfriend, who did not work for the Parkers and instead worked for a graphic design company in central London.

Charlotte almost envied him, for having the luxury of bringing a partner to the ball who did not have any ties to the architecture company and would therefore have no involvement in office politics or gossip.

They spoke for a few minutes longer about the ball, with Charlotte purposely not mentioning James, before Fred said goodbye to her and headed out of the coffee shop.

Crowe seemed to have grown tired of the conversation by the time Charlotte returned to the table. He became distracted by his phone, and it looked like he was sending messages to someone. A few minutes later, he announced that he was leaving, as he had somewhere to be.

"Oh, you know, places to go, people to see," he responded vaguely, after Babington asked him several times where he was going.

Crowe was giving nothing away, but Charlotte suspected from the way he glanced almost guiltily in Esther's direction before he left that he was going to meet Clara, and the apparent drama between Clara and Esther was making him reluctant to share his plans while Esther was sitting at the table.

The conversation about the city of Bath continued after Charlotte sat back down. As Charlotte started to tell Esther about all the tourist attractions she was planning on visiting in Bath, Sidney became distracted by an incoming call on his phone.

He glanced at his phone screen with a sigh before he accepted the call.

"What?" he snapped at the caller, the moment he held his phone to his ear, his tone of voice sounding very impatient.

Charlotte felt a little irritated at first, at how rudely Sidney had answered his phone, but then she heard the unmistakeable sound of Georgiana's voice, and it seemed that she was trying to outdo Sidney with her rudeness.

"You're not going to stop me from bringing him to the ball, you know!" Charlotte heard Georgiana shout at Sidney, her voice loud enough to be heard, even through the phone. "Just because you've encouraged Arthur and Diana to look at me in horror every time I so much as mention the possibility of bringing him, it doesn't mean you're going to guilt trip me into not doing what I want to do!"

Sidney sighed and closed his eyes, as though mentally counting to ten, in the way that Charlotte had seen Georgiana do before, when she was angry. Then he got up from his seat and took a few steps away from the table, as though wanting to keep the rest of the conversation private.

For the first time, Charlotte considered the idea that it had to be rather annoying for Sidney, to constantly be on the receiving end of Georgiana's angry outbursts.

Charlotte couldn't really hear much more of the conversation, but Sidney didn't talk to Georgiana for long. After only what seemed like a couple of minutes, he ended the call with a curt, "Good night, Georgiana, do try to get some rest," before he hung up the phone. He then took a few steps further away from the table, and Charlotte assumed that he was going to go outside to get some fresh air and maybe try to calm down, but instead he headed over to the counter as though to order another drink.

When Sidney returned to the table, he was carrying not one but four hot drinks on a tray. It seemed that he had purchased a drink not only for himself but for everybody else at the table. He handed coffees to Esther and Babington, apparently knowing their typical Starbucks orders off by heart, and then, surprisingly, he placed the exact same London Fog Tea Latte that Charlotte had ordered when she'd arrived at the coffee shop right in front of her. Charlotte had no idea why Sidney always remembered her drinks order, or why he even cared. But then she began to wonder if this was simply something that Sidney always did for his friends and acquaintances; learning their drinks orders and buying them drinks during social occasions to be polite. Perhaps there was nothing special to it, when he did this for her.

It wasn't long before Esther started to talk to Babington again, leaving Charlotte and Sidney to their own conversation, which would not have been so bad, if Charlotte and Sidney had actually been having some sort of conversation.

The tension between the two of them suddenly seemed to increase, now that they were not talking.

"Are we going to sit in awkward silence for the rest of the evening?" Charlotte couldn't help asking Sidney in exasperation, after she'd taken a few sips of her drink.

Sidney paused in drinking his coffee and looked at Charlotte for a few long moments; he looked like he was considering what he was about to say very carefully…

"Well," he said slowly, "as you are suddenly so reluctant to share your opinions, I will share one with you instead…"

Charlotte felt a little tense, almost expecting Sidney to say something insulting, either to her or about her, or to try to continue their argument from a few weeks ago, but what he actually said only served to confuse Charlotte even more...

"Mr. Bingley was a weak character," Sidney announced, out of nowhere.

"What?" Charlotte asked him with a frown, wondering if this was supposed to be some sort of code for something, or some continuation of a conversation that she had already forgotten about.

"People might tell you that his actions were admirable, in the end," said Sidney, not to be deterred by Charlotte's confused frown, "but there is no denying that he was far too easily influenced by the opinions of those around him-his sisters, in particular-to the point where he almost missed out on the opportunity to propose to the love of his life. When it came down to it, he was weak."

Sidney almost seemed annoyed, or maybe even regretful, as he said all this, and Charlotte couldn't help wondering if there was some sort of deeper meaning to what he was saying.

She was still a little taken aback by his sudden interest in disparaging Mr. Bingley's character; so taken aback that her mind did not yet connect the dots as to why he would have chosen this particular topic of discussion in the first place.

"Do you really think so negatively about his character?" Charlotte couldn't help asking him, already half-suspecting that he was merely trying to come up with a controversial opinion in order to get a reaction out of her.

"Oh, he has his merits, of course. No doubt you will insist that he is friendly, and charming, and agreeable…but is that really enough, in the grand scheme of any story?"

Charlotte felt like there was so much that she should say on this matter, but right now, she could only stare at Sidney in surprise and confusion, temporarily lost for words.

However, some tiny spark seemed to have ignited in the back of her mind; she felt as though she were on the verge of some sort of discovery; as though something big would soon be revealed to her, as soon as the spark ignited. It was how she often felt just before she was struck with major inspiration for a new blog post.

"Like it or not," Sidney continued, "it is the characters like Mr. Darcy who truly inspire passion and anger and fascination and perhaps even obsession."

"Do you _really_ think that?" Charlotte asked him again, still testing the waters to see if these were his actual opinions, or if he was just trying to provoke her into another debate.

"Of course," Sidney replied, his expression serious. "When it comes down to it, who puts pictures of Mr. Bingley-or pictures of Mr. Bingley's home, for that matter-up on their walls? Nobody."

Charlotte tried not to blush as she thought about the life-sized cardboard cut out of Mr. Darcy which was on display in _her_ flat.

"Who spends their time analysing every detail of Mr. Bingley's actions and behaviour?" Sidney asked. "Hardly anyone. It is men like Mr. Darcy who are the true heroes of Austen's stories."

Charlotte looked at Sidney in shocked silence for a few moments, as she continued to puzzle over the reasons why he might have been inspired to talk about this topic in the first place. She almost felt as though some tiny voice at the back of her mind were screaming at her, trying to tell her something important.

Charlotte would have liked to have discussed the matter of Mr. Bingley further with Sidney, but the two of them were pulled away from their conversation when Babington started to ask Sidney about his plans for the weekend.

With the two men suddenly engaged in conversation, and Esther now on the phone to one of her relatives (whose loud voice, coming through the phone, sounded strangely familiar to Charlotte), Charlotte decided that it was probably time to go.

As she heard the voice on Esther's phone say, "I hope you're encouraging his attention…", while Esther rolled her eyes, Charlotte started to put on her coat and gather up her belongings.

She thanked Sidney politely for the drink, and said her goodbyes to Esther and Babington, letting them all know that she would be heading to the nearest Tube station.

"It's getting late. I'll walk you to the station," said Sidney, the moment Charlotte had finished speaking, already getting up out of his seat, as though it had been decided.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking there on my own," Charlotte told him stubbornly. If Sidney didn't really want to spend time with her, then Charlotte did not want him to treat this like some sort of obligation.

"I am aware that you are capable of walking there by yourself," Sidney told her with a sigh, although there was no real malice behind his words now. "I am merely informing you that I will be walking there with you."

Charlotte didn't really have the energy to argue. She simply sighed and started walking away from the table, leaving Sidney to follow her.

When Sidney did not immediately follow her, she glanced over her shoulder to see Sidney leaning down to talk to Babington, looking like he was taking care to make the gesture look casual, and to not be overheard.

"Ask her," she heard Sidney mutter to Babington before he nodded in Esther's direction, and Charlotte could only assume that Sidney was prompting Babington to ask Esther to the ball in Bath.

Charlotte smiled to herself. She really hoped that Esther said yes. It would be nice to know that at least one couple would be happy at the ball together.

* * *

Charlotte and Sidney walked out of the coffee shop in silence.

Charlotte sighed, assuming that she was going to have to endure a tense, awkward silence all the way to the Tube station.

The only positive was that Sidney was starting to look a little calmer, now that he was outside in the fresh air

To Charlotte's surprise, however, Sidney started to speak after only a couple of minutes, although he still looked like he was debating saying anything at all…

"Perhaps I spoke a little out of turn," he said out of the blue, "when I implied that I did not care for your opinion."

Charlotte slowed down a little and turned to look at him, trying to process what he was saying. It almost sounded like he was trying to turn back time, to replay the words that he would have said to her during his phone call after the argument, if Charlotte had not hung up on him.

"You did more than just imply it," Charlotte couldn't help muttering, refusing to be so easily pacified.

"Yes, well," said Sidney, definitely sounding uncertain now. Charlotte suspected that he was not used to admitting that he was in the wrong. "Be that as it may, I perhaps should have said instead that although I do not agree with your opinion with regards to Georgiana and Otis's…situation, that is not to say that your opinions are not valued in…other matters."

He trailed off and looked away from her for a few moments, looking lost in his own thoughts.

Charlotte wondered if she was now expected to say something in response to this, but she was still processing what Sidney had just said, and wondering how she truly felt about it.

"Don't allow words spoken in anger-and spoken during what was truly an awful week-to give you any cause to doubt yourself," Sidney told her, after a few more moments of silence. His tone of voice was a lot softer, a lot gentler now, a lot more reassuring. His expression was suddenly less guarded, as though a mask of indifference had been temporarily lifted from his face, perhaps revealing more of his truer self. Charlotte wondered why the metaphorical mask had been placed there in the first place; why he seemed to think that he always had to put his guard up and keep everyone at a distance.

"Is this an attempt at some sort of apology on your part?" Charlotte couldn't help asking him, although there was much more curiosity in her tone than anger. A part of her wondered what else had been going on in Sidney's personal life at the time of the argument, for that week to have been so awful for him.

"Well, I suppose you could call it that, if you wish," said Sidney, the guarded expression reappearing on his face, although he did not look irritated anymore; if anything, he looked embarrassed. "And," he added, "despite what may or may not have been implied during the…incident with the Beauforts…" a frown crossed his face, while Charlotte blushed at the memory of it, "your work at the architecture company is appreciated. Tom and Mary would likely never forgive me, if my behaviour were in any way responsible for driving you away from their company…"

Charlotte nodded, accepting his words, even if she wasn't fully ready to forgive _him_ just yet. She felt a little better though, like some sort of weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Even if all of this was just for the purpose of keeping Tom and Mary happy, Charlotte at least felt reassured, on hearing that she was valued by her employers.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, with Charlotte lost in her thoughts. She wasn't exactly sure what had brought about this sudden change in Sidney's attitude. It was as though Georgiana's angry phone call, and Crowe's flirtations, had spurred him on to make amends. She wondered if part of the reason why he had offered to walk her to the station was so that he would have an opportunity to apologise.

"Perhaps it was a little rude of me, to hang up on you," Charlotte eventually admitted, almost begrudgingly.

" _Perhaps_?" Sidney asked her with a raised eyebrow.

Charlotte would almost have thought that he was getting angry with her again, if not for the fact that he sounded amused as he said it. She realised that he was just teasing her, imitating her for her own reaction when he'd called her. It seemed that Sidney Parker had some sort of sense of humour after all.

"Yes, well…" Charlotte replied in a stern tone of voice, trying to impersonate Sidney in return.

Sidney gave her one of his rare smiles in response.

Charlotte's heart always seemed to beat faster when he smiled like that.

The two of them kept looking at each other for several long moments as they walked towards the station.

In the silence that followed, Charlotte thought more about what he had said at the coffee shop, about Mr. Bingley's character.

"I sense you have more to say," said Sidney, after a few more moments.

"Well, it's just..." Charlotte began hesitantly, wondering if she should even say anything at all, after vowing not to engage in anymore Austen discussions with Sidney Parker. "I don't really agree, with your views on Mr. Bingley..."

"Of course you don't," Sidney muttered, although there was no malice in his words. He sounded unsurprised, and there was almost an affection in his words now, like he would not have expected anything else but Charlotte's disagreement.

"Although, I will admit," Charlotte continued, "that it is Mr. Darcy's character who inspires more 'obsession' in me than Mr. Bingley's character ever could..."

She blushed a little at her own admittance. This was the sort of thing she would say to Alison in a joking conversation, not to a man who happened to be her boss's boss.

Sidney however seemed to be amused by Charlotte's words; amused in a way where Charlotte felt like he was laughing with her, rather than at her.

Charlotte's words seemed to have done the trick in easing some of the tension between them. The two of them continued to bicker about _Pride and Prejudice_ as they got closer to the Tube station, although the tone of this conversation was a lot more friendly now.

Charlotte might have felt a little better, but deep down, she was also starting to feel a sense of regret that they had not had this conversation earlier in the week, or just after their argument had taken place.

Would things had been different, Charlotte wondered to herself, if they had had this conversation before Sidney had attempted to ask her to the ball? Charlotte wasn't sure.

As the sign outside the Tube station came into view, Charlotte desperately tried to dismiss these unpleasant thoughts. Her great aunt had once warned her, that as more years went by in a person's life, there would be more and more 'what ifs?' and 'if onlys…'. Nobody had full control over the events that happened in their lives, her aunt always insisted, or the timeframe in which they took place. Charlotte could not change what had already happened; she could not change anybody's past actions or decisions; she could only make the best of the present moment.

* * *

Sidney insisted on walking Charlotte into the station's main entrance.

As the two of them made small talk about work, they passed a group of tourists, most of them women, and all of them wearing 'I love London' T-shirts, complete with bright red hearts on the front of their shirts.

"Such a handsome man," Charlotte heard one of the women mutter to her friends as the group walked past Sidney.

Sidney did not seem to be at all fazed by the comment, and Charlotte decided that people probably made comments like that about him all the time in London. Charlotte wondered how it would feel, to be on the receiving end of so many appreciative looks and comments about one's attractiveness.

Sidney might not have looked embarrassed, but Charlotte had to fight off a blush when she heard one of the woman say something that sounded a lot like 'his wife', as she glanced back at Charlotte before she continued to whisper to her friends.

Embarrassed by their assumptions, Charlotte quickly tried to find something new to talk about with Sidney.

* * *

There was an escalator leading down towards the part of the station where Charlotte would be able to catch the Tube train.

As Charlotte stepped onto the escalator, Sidney leaned almost casually against a wall and watched as she descended. It seemed he was not going to leave until she was out of his sight.

Charlotte looked up at him, still feeling completely befuddled by his behaviour this evening.

Sidney met her gaze, and the two of them did not look away from each other until Charlotte reached the bottom of the escalator.

Charlotte shook her head as she walked towards the Tube train, feeling as though she were coming out of some sort of trance. Sidney Parker confused her so much.

* * *

When Charlotte was safely on the Tube train, she had time to return to puzzling over all the things that Sidney had randomly said this evening about Mr. Bingley.

Why had he chosen to talk about that particular topic this evening?

The train sped through the dark London underground as Charlotte sorted through her muddled thoughts…

She remembered that the last time she had thought about Mr. Bingley was when she'd been writing her latest blog post, and debating with her followers about Bingley in the comments section…

Her _blog post_...

And then, so very suddenly, Charlotte finally saw the light…

_In defence of Mr. Bingley_ …

She could see the title of her recent blog post in her mind's eye...

Sidney had not wanted to defend Mr. Bingley's character, in the way that Charlotte had. But, in order for him to have disagreed with her on this matter, he would have had to have read the blog post in the first place; and, he would have to have been aware that Charlotte Heywood was the author of that post.

It was like a fog had lifted. Images suddenly seemed to present themselves in the forefront of Charlotte's mind…

She saw the picture on the wall in Sidney's home; the picture of a house that looked just like Pemberley…

She remembered _LostinPemberley's_ comments on her blog page, about how he had literally got 'lost in Austen' after he broke up with his girlfriend…

_LostinPemberley_ …

It was _him_.

Charlotte covered her mouth so as not to let out an audible gasp.

Of course, Charlotte thought; it made perfect sense. His words and his phrases were so similar to how Sidney spoke to her during their face to face interactions. How had Charlotte not seen it before?

But, maybe she _had_ started to suspect something, deep down, but it now felt like she had been in some sort of deep denial for the past few weeks, more comfortable in believing that all of the signs and hints put before her had merely been coincidences.

Charlotte _had_ thought it a little odd at the time however, that _LostinPemberley_ had not made any comments on her 'Mr. Bingley' post; it had seemed like just the sort of topic that would have typically provoked him into arguing and disagreeing with Charlotte in the comments section.

But it seemed that _'LostinPemberley'_ had wanted to give her a response in person, and he had chosen this evening to reveal himself to Charlotte, in his own way.

Why had he decided that now was the right time to say something?

Had Charlotte's decision to attend the ball with James prompted some sort of change in Sidney's behaviour?

Too many questions seemed to be formulating in Charlotte's mind, preventing her from focusing on any one question in particular...

How long had Sidney known that the blog belonged to Charlotte? When had he worked it out? What did he think, about the fact that the two of them had been unknowingly interacting with one another on that blog for almost two years now, long before they'd met face to face, getting into many an argument along the way?

Another thought suddenly occurred to Charlotte; Sidney would have to have had more than just a passing interest in Jane Austen's novels, to have even made the decision to sign up to the blog in the first place…

"Oh…" Charlotte whispered to herself as this realisation fully hit her…

He did not hate Jane Austen after all.

Perhaps he believed that some people were fans of Austen's works for the 'wrong' reasons, but it was not the works of Austen in themselves that invited his contempt.

Still in a state of shock, Charlotte thought a little harder on this matter…

What if Sidney's apparent disdain for Austen fans was in fact all a part of some façade; some false image that he projected to the world to prevent anyone from discovering too much about him, and to avoid attracting too much mockery from his friends?

What if...what if Sidney had not been dreading the idea of attending the ball nearly as much as he had pretended to be, when Tom had first told him about it?

Another thought then occurred to Charlotte; if Sidney really was a fan of Jane Austen's works, then perhaps he did not simply view _her_ Austen obsession as a source of his amusement. Perhaps, in spite of appearances, he was genuinely interested to hear what she had to say about the stories written on the pages of the leather-bound books that mysteriously appeared in her locker….

As though Charlotte had just unlocked a door in her mind, another memory appeared to her, as clear as day…

_"He_ _wouldn't know love if it danced right in front of him, carrying a pile of his precious leather-bound books…"_ she heard Georgiana's voice tell her.

Leather-bound books…

Charlotte's eyes widened.

Was it _Sidney Parker_ , who was leaving the books in her locker?

Charlotte could barely process the very idea of it; she had never even allowed herself to consider this possibility before. It was as though her mind had locked away all of these ideas and suspicions up to now, as a way of protecting her, preventing her from making too many false assumptions or getting too emotionally involved and then getting hurt as a result, in the same way that her recurring dream would not yet reveal the most important information to her.

The idea that Sidney was leaving the books seemed so impossible...And yet, the evidence added up, didn't it? The books only seemed to appear on the days when Sidney had been in the building.

But then, Charlotte thought to herself, what did all of this mean? If Sidney really was going to the trouble to hide the precious books in her locker, then he could not dislike her nearly as much as Charlotte had first assumed, could he? There had to be a kindness, a consideration, behind the gesture, even if the action in itself was a little sneaky.

And, Charlotte thought, even if this current thought was particularly painful…if Sidney truly was such a fan of Jane Austen, and if he was truly interested in what Charlotte had to say in her blog posts, then perhaps he had not asked Charlotte to the ball simply as a way of amusing himself; perhaps, somewhere deep down, he had actually _wanted_ to go with her.

The train continued its journey through the dark tunnel, apparently oblivious to the fact that Charlotte had just seen the light.

Charlotte leaned her head against the cold glass window. In other circumstances, all of these new discoveries would have brought her feelings of great joy.

So why was it that right now, all that she could feel was a single tear as it ran slowly down her cheek?


	8. Chapter 8

Charlotte still felt upset when she returned to her flat on Friday evening, going over a few 'what ifs' and several regrets in her mind, and struggling not to get lost in obsessive thoughts about books and blogs as she attempted to analyse every word that Sidney Parker had said to her over the course of the evening.

She might also have spent the evening moping around, watching romantic films that she had seen many times before while she worried about how she would afford to travel to Bath next weekend, while also thinking a little about the red rose that had been left on her locker door, and then ordering unhealthy takeout food that she probably couldn't really afford from a local restaurant instead of cooking something, although she probably wouldn't mention any of this to anyone in conversation at work next week.

However, when Charlotte woke up early on Saturday morning, she was feeling more focused, more determined.

At some point through the night, she'd made the decision to treat her recent discoveries about Sidney Parker as a series of interesting clues that she could try to work out, rather than something to feel upset or regretful about. Like several of Jane Austen's protagonists, Charlotte also liked to have a project, an interesting mystery to solve, and she was already looking forward to taking steps to solve the mystery that was Sidney Parker. The true identity of _LostinPemberley_ intrigued her, fascinated her, even, and she definitely wanted to find out more. This new knowledge that Sidney had provided her with through his recent clues felt like a kind of power, or a gift, even. She was no longer in the dark now, and the new information revealed to her was something that she could explore and work out in whatever way she chose.

Not to mention that there was so much she had to do; so many plans she had to put together if she was going to have any hope of attending the ball in the first place, and she was _not_ going to spend the rest of the weekend moping around, doing nothing.

As she ate her breakfast, Charlotte also reminded herself that she still had no definite, guaranteed confirmation that Sidney had in fact genuinely wanted to go to the ball with her in the first place, and she had no real idea what she would have said in the moment, if he had asked her in different circumstances. Her own thoughts and feelings about him still confused her so much. She therefore could not spend the next few days wishing and regretting.

There were also several issues between them that had not yet been resolved, like their disagreement over Georgiana and Otis's relationship, and the fact that Charlotte wasn't yet sure if she had fully forgiven Sidney for what he had said during their argument, or for his strange attempt to ask her to the ball. What was the point in thinking about all the 'what ifs?', when she still wasn't exactly sure if any circumstances had in fact changed?

That's what she kept telling herself anyway, in what felt like an attempt to reassure herself.

After breakfast, Charlotte went for a run to clear her head, heading to a small, local park this time instead of Regent's Park.

Charlotte's aunt called while Charlotte was walking home from the park, and so Charlotte received a new distraction in the form of her aunt's constant questions about the upcoming ball, as she demanded that Charlotte share all the details with her.

When she returned to her flat, Charlotte spent a couple of hours doing housework, cleaning the flat from top to bottom, and only leaving to head to a nearby supermarket to buy enough healthy food to last her for the next week.

She then spent an hour or so completing her sketch of Mr. Knightley, trying to make it look professional enough that she would be able to upload a photo of the sketch to her Instagram page.

As Charlotte added a few finishing touches to her sketch, she started to think about displaying the picture on one of the walls in her flat.

It was then that she was struck with another idea…

All morning, she'd been trying to think of ways to test the waters, to put it out there that she had interpreted some of the clues that Sidney had given her yesterday evening; that she knew who _LostinPemberley_ was; that she remembered the words Sidney had said to her at the coffee shop, about her Mr. Bingley post...but up to now, she hadn't been sure how exactly to go about it.

As Charlotte headed into the kitchen and started to search through her pile of Jane Austen themed postcards that she'd recently placed on the kitchen counter, searching for one that she knew would have a picture of Mr. Bingley on the front, she told herself that this wasn't exactly a clever way of digging deeper into the mystery, and there was no guarantee that he would even see it or respond to it, but still, it was a small way of dropping a hint that she'd been thinking about what Sidney had said.

On finding a picture of the Mr. Bingley from the _Pride and Prejudice_ miniseries on the front of a postcard, Charlotte stuck it up on her living room wall and took a photo of it.

She uploaded the photograph to her Instagram page, typing out a caption…

_Recently, I've been thinking about how Mr. Bingley perhaps doesn't get the credit he deserves in Jane Austen's famous story, and I decided to give his character a little recognition by putting up a picture of him on my living room wall…_

She thought back to what Sidney had said, about how most people had no interest in putting up pictures of Mr. Bingley on their walls, in contrast to how people always wanted to put up pictures of Mr. Darcy, and so Charlotte thought that this would be a light-hearted way of joking about the words he'd said to her; a way of trying to hint to him-without it being overly obvious-that she'd been considering what he'd said, while at the same time trying to challenge his opinions about Mr. Bingley a little.

Less than a minute after Charlotte had uploaded the photo, she saw that her sister had liked it. This was closely followed by a comment of: _Mr. Bingley!_ from Alison, along with several heart-eye emojis.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling fondly as she read her sister's comment; Alison had always adored Mr. Bingley.

It had to be about half an hour later when, much to Charlotte's surprise, she received a notification to let her know that Sidney Parker had left a comment on her photo.

Charlotte frowned in surprise. She'd expected a 'like', maybe, but it was rare for Sidney to comment on any of her photos. Feeling intrigued, Charlotte opened up the Mr. Bingley photo again…

_Are you aware that there is a life-sized cut out of Mr. Darcy visible in the background of your photo?_ Sidney had asked her, under her photo.

For a moment, Charlotte had no idea what he was talking about. It was only a couple of minutes later, after she had zoomed in on the photo, that she realised, much to her embarrassment, that her cardboard cut-out of Mr. Darcy was just visible in the photo, thanks to a reflection shown in the mirror on Charlotte's living room wall.

Charlotte started to blush. How had she not realised that before she posted the photo? How had she had the bad luck, to take a picture from that angle, so that the cut-out of Mr. Darcy was visible in the mirror? How had Sidney spotted it, when she hadn't? Clearly, he was more observant than she was.

No doubt he was feeling rather smug right now, in the knowledge that Charlotte was seemingly trying to openly show her support for Mr. Bingley's character, while apparently trying to mask some sort of secret obsession with Mr. Darcy. After all, would this not serve to back up the opinions that he had given in the first place? Opinions of his that Charlotte had implied she disagreed with?

Charlotte shook her head in exasperation. It wasn't like there was some sort of competition going on between the two of them, exactly, but Charlotte couldn't help feeling like Sidney had won this round; or that he had the upper hand at the moment, at least.

Only moments later, Alison liked Sidney's comment.

"You traitor," Charlotte muttered to herself, when she noticed what Alison had done, but there was no real malice behind her words.

Still, she couldn't help sighing. No doubt Alison would find all of this hilarious, and she would want to talk to Charlotte about Sidney's comment soon, and then this would only give her sister more excuses to ask Charlotte lots of questions about Sidney Parker.

* * *

Later in the evening, Charlotte was struck by sudden inspiration for a new blog post, and, as soon as the idea was in her mind, she felt like she wouldn't be able to rest until she'd typed out all of her thoughts and put them into a new post for her followers.

She typed quickly, trying to get all of her ideas onto the open document while they were fresh in her mind, deciding not to go back and change or edit anything until she'd typed out the whole post.

_Mr. Darcy_ …Charlotte eventually typed out as a title, only deciding upon this title after the post was already edited and almost complete, _just a hopeless fantasy?_

She'd focused the article on what she believed to be a common debate-whether Austen's readers enjoyed the idea of Mr. Darcy's character as some sort of distant, fictional fantasy; an idealised version of a romantic partner, or whether they genuinely believed that he possessed the traits of an ideal, real-life partner.

Charlotte had mixed feelings as she uploaded her blog post; on the one hand, she knew that this topic would encourage discussion and debate, and she was excited at the prospect of getting more readers to engage with her post. On the other hand, she knew deep down that she'd written and posted this particular article as another way of testing the waters with _LostinPemberley_ , to somehow seek some sort of confirmation that _LostinPemberley_ was indeed Sidney Parker.

She'd felt a bit silly after her last attempt at dropping a hint to Sidney Parker that she was certain that he was the one behind the _LostinPemberley_ account, as it had felt like he had been able to laugh at her through his comment on her photo, and so she couldn't help hoping that this would maybe be a more sophisticated attempt at finding out more.

Several comments appeared on Charlotte's latest post in the minutes after she posted it. Charlotte read each and every one of them, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed that _LostinPemberley_ had not yet left a comment.

It was later still in the evening, after Charlotte had spoken on the phone to her parents and then her sister for at least an hour, when Charlotte received a notification to let her know that _LostinPemberley_ had left not one but two comments on her recent post, during the time that Charlotte had been on the phone...

_Hilarious…_ he had written as his first comment.

Instinctively, Charlotte rolled her eyes. The irritation was clear in his comment, in the way it often tended to be in a lot of _LostinPemberley_ 's typical comments. But then Charlotte felt intrigued all over again, as she just knew that Sidney was sarcastically mocking her for writing so blatant a post about Mr. Darcy after their discussion yesterday evening. He was all but confirming to her that Sidney Parker and _LostinPemberley_ were the same person.

Charlotte was so busy thinking about _LostinPemberley_ 's first comment that it took her a few moments to remember that he had left a second comment, too. Perhaps feeling more eager than she would have liked to admit, Charlotte rushed to open the second comment...

It seemed that _LostinPemberley_ had perhaps considered his first comment to be a little harsh, because he'd added an additional comment only minutes after the first: _You make some fascinating points…_ (Here, Charlotte wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not); _I can only wonder what (or who) inspired this blog post_ …

Charlotte couldn't help smiling a little at this comment. Not only was this yet more confirmation that she was on the right lines this time with her assumptions, but she also felt like _LostinPemberley_ was gently teasing her here, smiling along with her at the knowledge that the two of them were starting to work each other out.

Not for the first time, Charlotte couldn't help wondering how Sidney had discovered that _she_ was the one running the blog in the first place.

* * *

Charlotte ended up staying up quite late that evening. Her mind was so full of thoughts about Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley and _LostinPemberley_ that she did not yet feel calm or relaxed enough to sleep.

Charlotte spread out various pages of paperwork from the office all over the kitchen counter, but the truth was that she was more occupied with looking at Instagram on her phone, catching up with everything that was going on in the lives of her university friends, and a few friends of her family who lived in Willingden.

During the early hours of the morning, Charlotte's attention was taken up by something else entirely, when she saw that Sidney Parker had uploaded a new photo to Instagram.

Overcome with curiosity, Charlotte clicked on the photo to enlarge it. The photo was of Sidney with three children. The children's backs were to the camera, but Charlotte could tell that it was Tom and Mary's children-Alicia, Jenny and Henry-in the picture.

The picture had been taken in what looked like the beautiful grounds of a stately home. Sidney was crouched down in the grass in the gardens as all three children seemed to be running towards him, as though running into their uncle's arms.

In the photo, Sidney smiled, looking happier, and more relaxed, than he usually looked whenever Charlotte encountered him in London. It was clear that this place was a happy one for him, and that this photo represented a happy memory.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling fondly as she took in the expression on Sidney's face. He looked so natural, so unguarded here. He looked like there was nowhere else he would rather be. She imagined Mary taking the photo, trying to capture a happy moment with the children during an afternoon with their Uncle Sidney.

Charlotte had a feeling that it had taken a lot for Sidney to put such a personal photo out there on his social media page.

Charlotte sat staring at the photo for a few minutes, wondering why Sidney had chosen to share this particular photo…

She could just about make out the stately home in the background of the picture; something about it looked familiar…

_Oh_! Charlotte suddenly realised as she zoomed in a little on the large home. She had seen that home so many times on television screens that it had become almost as familiar as her own; not to mention that she had visited this same place with Alison only recently.

This picture had been taken in Lyme Park, perhaps best known as the setting for Mr. Darcy's home in the _Pride and Prejudice_ miniseries.

_Pemberley_ …Charlotte thought to herself, her heart beating a little faster.

Sidney had just shared one of his own personal pictures of 'Pemberley', knowing full well that Charlotte would see it on his Instagram page.

If 'Pemberley' was such a special place to him, a place that he had taken his nephew and nieces to visit, then the link between this place and the _LostinPemberley_ username was obvious.

This had to be another clue; Charlotte just knew it. Sidney was all but confirming to her that she had got it right with her assumptions this time; this was about as blatant as he could be without spelling it out directly to Charlotte.

Not to mention that he had shared a photo that was clearly very dear, and very personal to him. It seemed he was getting comfortable with revealing more of his true self. Had he wanted Charlotte to see this, to see that there was more to him than the sarcastic comments and the irritated expressions?

After Charlotte had liked the photo, just to acknowledge that she had seen it, and hoping that this got the message across that she had understood it as yet another clue, she ended up scrolling through Sidney's old photos, several of which she had not looked at before.

It didn't take long before she realised that Sidney had visited Lyme Park several times over the past few years. The stately home and the grounds were visible in a few of Sidney's old photos, when Charlotte looked close enough. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed this before; perhaps she had just not been looking properly; perhaps she had just not seen the bigger picture.

It gave her a strange sort of thrill to know that Sidney had walked through the same grounds that _she_ always enjoyed walking through; that this was an experience that they had shared, almost.

Charlotte then read a few of the captions on these photos with a confused frown on her face…

_I feel like I'm dreaming_ , Sidney had written under one of his photos of Lyme House.

_Just a dream_ , another caption read.

_Only a dream_ , declared a third.

_Lost in a dream,_ said the fourth.

Charlotte read the captions a few times. It was clear that there was a common theme here, in what he was writing, but Charlotte wasn't sure what the dream imagery was supposed to be referring to. It seemed like it was something that was personal to Sidney; some sort of private thought of his, which only made Charlotte feel intrigued to find out more. She wondered if the words and the pictures would provide some sort of other clue, to help her learn more about Sidney Parker.

When Charlotte finally got into bed and she fell asleep, her dreams were full of images not only of ballrooms, but also the beautiful grounds of Pemberley.

* * *

On Sunday morning, Charlotte woke up to several text messages from James Stringer, in which he suggested that they start to make arrangements for attending the ball next weekend, as it turned out that Tom had asked him to work overtime on Saturday morning, which would mean that he would get to Bath a little later than he had hoped.

The messages served as a reality check to Charlotte, not only reminding her that she could not spend the rest of the weekend obsessing over the mystery that was Sidney Parker, but also that she had practical arrangements to make, if she was going to have any hope of attending the ball while still being able to afford to pay rent next month. She had been putting off the practical arrangements for the weekend for far too long, and now she knew that she had to take action.

And so, after breakfast, Charlotte spread several blank pieces of paper over the kitchen counter, along with her phone and her laptop. Then, she started to plan in detail. She went over several options, looking at cheap hotels in Bath and wondering if any of her work colleagues who were also attending the ball would be prepared to drive her there, and even considering the possibility of trying to sew some of her costume herself as she browsed through various websites where Regency costumes were sold, before she started to make a calculation of her average monthly costs, trying to decide what she could realistically sacrifice next month if she was still going to be able to spend the weekend in Bath.

She only allowed herself a brief pause to glance again at the photo that Sidney had uploaded during the early hours of the morning. A few new comments had appeared under the photo since Charlotte had last looked at it…

_This was such a happy day!_ Mary had written.

_Agreed!_ Arthur Parker had written in reply to Mary's comment, while Diana had also written, _Agreed!_ in reply to her brother's comment.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling to herself as she thought about the idea of the Parker family visiting Lyme Park together as part of a day out for the children. It seemed that the Parkers really were a close family, in spite of the occasional disagreement.

* * *

By midday, Charlotte had started to lose hope a little. She just couldn't see how she would be able to afford a costume, a hotel and a journey to Bath while still being able to pay her rent and bills.

She was just crossing yet more items off her list, deciding what she could go without for the next month, including her regular drinks from the Starbucks by work, when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the main stairs outside the front door.

Charlotte wouldn't have thought anything of it, if she hadn't then heard a very familiar-sounding sigh, closely followed by a loud proclamation of, "There are far too many stairs in this building!"

Charlotte froze before she blinked rapidly a few times in surprise. What was she _doing_ here?

Charlotte went to open the front door, half convinced that she was only imagining things, but the second she opened the front door, she saw none other than her great aunt standing on the other side of it, dressed very smartly and wearing what looked like a designer coat, but still looking rather irritated, as always. She seemed to be a little out of breath, and she was balancing what looked like a garment protector, a large box and a cardboard folder in her arms.

"Aunt…" Charlotte managed to get out, still feeling a bit shocked as she stepped aside to let her aunt in, and therefore not being able to say much else.

"Yes, yes, hello to you, too," her aunt said sharply as she walked right past Charlotte and into the living room.

"This flat is rather small," Charlotte's aunt then observed, unhelpfully, while Charlotte tried not to roll her eyes in exasperation. Not everybody could afford to live in a large house in the British countryside, with a whole team of staff employed to help run the household.

"W-what are you doing here?" Charlotte asked her, still unable to believe that her great aunt was standing in the middle of her living room. This was the first time that Charlotte had seen her since she had come to London.

Her aunt regarded her for a few moments before she spoke: "Well, when I heard that you would be attending a ball, I decided that you should be the best-dressed attendee! And so I come bearing gifts!" her aunt declared.

Charlotte recalled her conversation with her aunt the previous morning. Had the news of the ball really prompted her aunt to leave the comfort of her countryside home and make the journey to London?

"I have a feeling that my help might be needed in that area," her aunt added, as though unable to help herself.

Charlotte tried not to glare at her. Her aunt had always been abrupt like this, for as long as Charlotte could remember, and Charlotte was certain that there would be no changing her now.

Before Charlotte could ask her anything else, her aunt gestured to the garment bag that she had placed on Charlotte's sofa.

Still feeling a little confused, Charlotte slowly unzipped the garment bag. She couldn't help letting out a gasp of surprise as the most beautiful dress (in Charlotte's opinion, anyway) was revealed to her. The dress looked exactly like a typical Regency era style dress that would have been worn at a ball at the time-Charlotte was familiar with the designs after so many years of reading Jane Austen novels and watching various adaptations. The dress was almost golden in colour-it would not have been Charlotte's typical choice of colour to wear at a party, but now, looking at the dress, the colour seemed ideal, and she had a feeling that it would suit her, and catch the light in the ballroom perfectly.

Charlotte assumed that her aunt had got the dress size just right, as it wasn't unusual for her to pick out outfits for her nieces and nephews for them to wear at parties, but Charlotte wasn't sure if her aunt had ever made as extravagant a purchase as this one on her behalf.

Her aunt then gestured almost impatiently at the large box that she'd placed on a nearby coffee table, and, still speechless, Charlotte opened it.

Inside the box was a pair of high-heeled shoes; shoes that must have cost a small fortune, along with a pair of gloves and a hair piece in the same shade of gold as the dress.

Before Charlotte could offer any sort of comment or reaction, her aunt handed her the cardboard folder, insisting that Charlotte have a look inside it.

As though in a daze, Charlotte opened the folder to find various print outs, one of which confirmed that her aunt had hired a car for her for the whole of next weekend, starting from Friday, while another printout showed that her aunt had booked Charlotte into a _luxury hotel_ in Bath for the weekend.

"A-Aunt," said Charlotte, her voice trembling as she continued to look at all the gifts that surrounded her, "this is very kind of you, but I really can't accept…"

Years of growing up in a family where money was often tight and books rarely balanced in her father's business had made Charlotte feel a sense of shame and guilt in having to accept any sort of gift from anyone, even if this way of thinking could be a little irrational at times.

All of the gifts were so perfect; her aunt was being so helpful, and still Charlotte felt embarrassed, taking all of this from her with nothing to give in return.

"Why not?" her aunt demanded, a definite tone of impatience in her voice now. "I'm old and I'm rich! What am I going to do with all my money, after I'm gone? Better that you see some of the benefits of it now, before my greedy nephew attempts to get his hands on it!"

Charlotte had no idea which nephew her aunt was referring to, as there were so many, but she couldn't help feeling a little perplexed at the idea that a little under-handed scheming appeared to be going on.

"But still," Charlotte continued to protest as she looked from the dress to the shoes, "it's so much, I could never repay-"

"No niece of mine is going to disgrace the family name at a formal event!" her aunt insisted, her tone suggesting that she would hear no further argument. "I will not be happy unless I can play a part in ensuring that that does not happen!"

Charlotte might have sighed in exasperation, but her sense of guilt was starting to decrease a little at her aunt's words. This argument was easier to deal with, from Charlotte's point of view, anyway. She could tell herself that this was not some act of charity or pity on her aunt's part, but rather her way of having some sort of say in how Charlotte dressed and behaved at a formal event. It was one of her aunt's typical ways of taking control of a situation; of bossing people around and having some influence over an event. It was the sort of control that her aunt thrived on.

Perhaps it was easier for her aunt, too, to dress up such a kind gesture with so many logical explanations, rather than just admit that she'd wanted to do something nice for her niece.

Besides, Charlotte really would like to be able to spend a weekend in Bath and still be able to afford to pay rent when she got back…

When Charlotte did not argue back, her aunt nodded, as though satisfied with the outcome.

She held up Charlotte's new golden dress and gestured at it dramatically with her other hand.

"You shall go to the ball!" she declared.

* * *

It was with her aunt's words in mind that Charlotte began the journey from London to Bath in her hire car five days later, on a warm Friday morning.

All of Charlotte's luggage, including the outfit her aunt had purchased for her, was safely stowed in the back of the car. She had even packed her copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ in her bag, even though several of the pages were now in danger of falling out of the old copy of the book. But Charlotte had just had to bring it with her, especially in light of the theme of the weekend. It wouldn't have felt right, to not have at least one of Jane Austen's novels with her in Bath, and _Pride and Prejudice_ was a particular favourite of hers .

She'd taken a day's leave from work, after Tom and Mary had insisted that she use up some of her holiday leave, 'just in case', which meant that she'd been able to head to Bath a little earlier than most of her colleagues.

Charlotte had interpreted Tom and Mary's 'just in case' comment as the Parkers subtly trying to let her know that there was no guarantee that she would still be working at the architecture company in a few months' time, and that she should therefore make the most of the perks of the job while she could. Charlotte was trying not to worry too much about the very realistic possibility that her employment contract might not be a long-term one; not now, when she was really looking forward to the ball. She'd already made the decision that she would enjoy her long weekend in Bath, and worry about work next week, when she was back in London.

It was nice, to not have to think about work for a while. With only having four days to complete five days' worth of work, Charlotte had definitely had a busy week.

As Charlotte drove out of London, she felt lighter, more relaxed. She hadn't driven for a little while, and it was definitely a novelty. There was something so freeing about the sense of independence that came with being able to drive herself to a new location; it reminded her of being back home in Willingden, when she'd often borrowed her mother's car to drive through the country roads, taking the scenic routes and enjoying the view.

Charlotte and James had arranged to meet at the ball early on Saturday evening. It seemed with James's extra work hours that his journey to Bath would be delayed a little.

Charlotte felt a little upset, that she would not get to spend much time with James in Bath before the ball, but she knew that it couldn't be helped. Besides, she was sure that Georgiana would be there to help keep her company.

As well as messages from James Stringer, Charlotte's message inbox was also full of enthusiastic messages from her parents, who had asked her to take plenty of photos at the ball and share all of these photos with them. Charlotte was reminded of all the school dances that she had attended, when her parents had always insisted on taking photos of Charlotte all dressed up before she left the house for the evening.

Then there were the many, many messages from Alison. Most of Alison's messages ranged from, _I'm so jealous! I wish I was going!_ to _I'm so excited for you! You have to tell me everything about the ball!_

Charlotte had read all of her sister's messages with a smile before she set off for Bath, deciding that she would try to pay another visit to Bath with her sister in the near future, for one of their typical Austen-themed weekends away.

* * *

When Charlotte arrived in Bath and she walked through the main doors of the hotel where she would be staying for the weekend, it didn't take her long to realise that her aunt had truly outdone herself with this particular gift.

The entrance hallway leading to the hotel's Reception was wide and spacious, with high ceilings. There were polished wooden tables and chairs all around the Reception area, and a room to one side of the Reception desk was full of comfortable-looking armchairs and sofas, and even a fireplace.

When Charlotte was shown to her room, she had to cover up a gasp of surprise at just how beautiful it looked. There was a large, four poster bed in the centre of the room, along with a large couch and a couple of armchairs dotted all around the room, as well as a few wooden tables, one of which had a vase full of flowers on it.

Large windows overlooked the street below, and the long, elegant curtains went all the way to the carpeted floor. A chandelier even hung from the ceiling, above the bed.

Charlotte stood still in her hotel room for a little while, just taking it all in, and thinking about how lucky she was to be here.

She then smiled to herself as the placed her copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ on the bedside table.

For this weekend at least, she was going to enjoy herself, and appreciate the finer things in life.

* * *

After she had unpacked, it wasn't long before Charlotte stepped outside the hotel's main doors and into the streets of Bath. It was a warm summer's day, and she was eager to get some fresh air and have a look around the city.

Charlotte strolled through the busy streets of Bath, taking in some of the shops and the old houses and even a canal along the way.

From all of her reading about Jane Austen's life, Charlotte had worked out that Jane had had very mixed feelings at best about the time she had spent living in Bath, but here, in this modern time, Charlotte felt rather happy and peaceful as she strolled through yet another of Bath's bustling streets.

* * *

Charlotte headed to The Circus, an historic row of townhouses, photos of which often appeared in Bath's tourist guidebooks, and on social media pages about the city.

Charlotte made sure to take plenty of photos of her own of the townhouses, so that she could send them to her sister.

A lot of the buildings in the city were still in the Regency style, and, with all of the old buildings as a backdrop, Charlotte could almost imagine that she were a character in an Austen novel, arriving in Bath to seek new adventures.

* * *

Next, Charlotte headed to Royal Victoria Park, where she walked on the lush, green grass, passing several large trees along the way, and even a few couples who were sharing picnics on the grass.

* * *

She ended up at Royal Crescent, another famous row of terraced houses in the Georgian style.

Charlotte had just taken a couple of photos of the terraced houses when she was distracted by the sound of someone calling her name.

She looked over her shoulder to see Arthur Parker walking towards her, taking rapid steps but also looking like he was gasping for breath.

Charlotte would have felt concerned about how out of breath he looked, but he was also smiling and waving at her enthusiastically, so Charlotte had to assume that he was feeling all right.

"Charlotte!" Arthur greeted her with another grin as he approached. It seemed that he had also arrived early in Bath and had wanted to see some of the sights, and he must have recognised Charlotte from Sidney's party a few weeks ago, and the few times that he had encountered her at work.

Charlotte wondered who else might be in Bath already.

"Arthur," Charlotte greeted him in return, with a smile.

"It's a lovely day, isn't it?" said Arthur, after he'd taken a few more deep breaths, talking very fast. "Very warm weather, though. I feel like I've been walking around for hours! No doubt I'll be exhausted later! Beautiful city, though, don't you agree!"

Charlotte told him that she was very much in agreement, and then her and Arthur talked for a few minutes about all the tourist attractions in Bath, and the places they had visited so far.

Charlotte was just showing Arthur a few of the photos on her phone when she heard the sound of Arthur's sister's voice, calling out her brother's name.

"It's far too hot!" Diana declared by way of greeting as she moved to stand next to her brother. "I've been walking for much too long! I'm sure I'll collapse if I don't sit down soon!"

Charlotte looked at Arthur, trying to work out whether Diana's prediction that she might soon collapse was something to be concerned about, but Arthur did not appear to be particularly perplexed. Charlotte wondered if Diana insisted that she was on the verge of collapsing on a regular basis.

"We were thinking about heading to a local tearoom for food and drink," Arthur told Charlotte. "Why don't you join us?" he asked her, sounding thrilled at the idea.

Charlotte was a little hesitant, especially when she thought about the possibility of long lectures from Diana about health and safety, but she didn't really have any other plans for the evening, and both Arthur and Diana seemed enthusiastic at the idea of having someone new to talk to about the upcoming weekend, and Charlotte felt like it might be a bit impolite to say no.

* * *

Arthur and Diana took Charlotte to a teashop called The Georgian Tearooms. Charlotte was thrilled by the Georgian theme, and she thought that the teashop was very pretty, with its dark blue carpet and light blue wallpaper and old-fashioned looking paintings on the walls. There were several little tables covered with light patterned tablecloths, with a few dark wooden chairs placed around each table.

Charlotte would have been happy just to drink tea, but Arthur and Diana insisted on ordering quite a lot of sandwiches and cakes as well.

Diana seemed to have recovered from her recent exhaustion, in light of the distraction of tea and cake.

The two siblings then persuaded Charlotte to try several of these sandwiches and cakes, insisting that it was their treat, and looking happy at simply having someone else there with them to join in with their conversation.

Arthur and Diana chattered constantly, talking very fast the whole time, briefly mentioning their work, before quickly moving on to talking about their two holiday homes in the countryside which happened to be located in the same street, the two of them sounding a lot more enthusiastic about their holidays in a tiny village in the countryside than they did about their everyday lives in London.

Diana also seemed to fuss over Arthur a lot, worrying out loud about how far he'd walked today, and about what he was eating, and then mentioning something about cholesterol levels.

Diana's worrying seemed a little bizarre, from Charlotte's point of view, as Arthur seemed to be perfectly happy, but she decided that her heart was likely in the right place. She seemed to genuinely care for her brother, and they both seemed to be nice people.

Arthur in particular seemed to make an effort to include Charlotte in the conversation, especially when Diana became distracted by a few work phone calls, looking rather pleased when Charlotte asked him several questions about the village where he often spent his summer holidays.

The conversation then turned to the upcoming ball, and Charlotte told Arthur and Diana all about the dress her aunt had purchased for her, as well as her arrangements to attend the ball with James Stringer, while the two of them listened eagerly to what she had to say.

"Well, I for one can't wait to go to the ball and dance every dance!" Arthur declared enthusiastically, after Charlotte had finished speaking, reminding Charlotte of Tom for a moment. "There's nothing like good music and good food and good company! And I hope to be the best dressed of all the men there!" he added with a chuckle.

"Will you be going to the ball with anyone in particular?" Charlotte couldn't help asking him, giving in to her typical curiosity. She'd got the impression at Sidney's party that Arthur was rather fond of Georgiana, and Charlotte couldn't help wondering how he felt about the fact that it seemed likely that Georgiana had asked Otis to go to the ball with her.

"Oh, no," said Arthur with a grin and what looked like a casual wave of his hand. "All of that, it's not really my thing," he admitted. "But I'll be happy to be among friends, of course, and I'll dance with whoever asks me!"

Charlotte wasn't really sure what exactly Arthur was trying to tell her with that statement, but it definitely sounded like he'd been sharing something with her. Either way, it seemed that Arthur was not in fact pining after Georgiana after all.

Arthur then managed to engage Charlotte in a rather strange but amusing conversation about how much he loved tea and hot buttered toast, when Diana suddenly seemed to become distracted by something that she saw outside the teashop window.

"Sidney! Sidney!" she called out, while Charlotte felt her heartbeat suddenly pick up at an almost alarming rate on hearing that name.

Unable to believe the sheer coincidence of it, Charlotte glanced nervously out of her shoulder to see that Sidney Parker was in fact walking past the teashop window, with his two friends in tow.

It looked like Sidney, Crowe and Babington had decided to travel to Bath today, too. And now Sidney was here, just outside the teashop, and Diana had actually got up out of her seat to knock loudly on the glass front window of the shop to get his attention.

Sidney frowned at the noise before he stopped walking and looked through the teashop window. He waved politely at his sister, but he seemed reluctant to engage in any further conversation with her, especially when Diana started beckoning frantically at him through the window, as though inviting him inside, and it wasn't long before Arthur joined in.

Sidney shook his head and then nodded discreetly at his friends, as though silently trying to let Diana know that the three of them already had plans, somewhere else to be, but Diana did not seem to take the hint. She kept waving at her brother until he eventually sighed and muttered something to his friends. A few seconds later, the three men started to walk through the teashop's main door.

Charlotte felt more than a little tense at the sound of the door opening. What would Sidney Parker think about seeing her here with his siblings?

"Arthur! Diana!" Crowe called out as he walked into the tearoom a few steps ahead of Sidney.

Charlotte could tell by the way he slurred his words that he'd been drinking. In fact, all three men looked a little worse for wear, and Charlotte suspected that they had been drinking for most of the day, no doubt celebrating a weekend off and some free time away from their work in London. She knew that it was likely that they'd been planning to head to yet another bar or pub in Bath's city centre, before Diana had temporarily put their plans on hold.

Babington stepped into the room after Crowe. He chuckled a little on seeing Charlotte, as though finding it amusing that Charlotte and Sidney had ended up in the same place again. Charlotte only hoped that Sidney's friends did not think that she was doing this on purpose. Still, in spite of his obvious amusement, Babington greeted Charlotte with a friendly wave, and then, ever the gentleman, he went to shake hands with Arthur and Diana, beaming the whole time. The two of them both seemed to be charmed by him.

As Sidney stepped into the room, Charlotte saw that he was dressed quite casually today, in jeans and a light blue T-shirt, although he still looked handsome. It always intrigued Charlotte, to see Sidney dressed in something other than his smart, formal work clothes.

It was only then that Sidney stopped in his tracks and looked right at Charlotte. Charlotte could tell from the look of surprise that briefly crossed his face that he had not known that she was here with Arthur and Diana, and he was only just realising it now. Even after he managed to put what Charlotte now imagined to be his typical mask of composure and indifference back on his face, he still did not look away from Charlotte.

It was lucky, really, that Arthur and Diana were temporarily distracted by Crowe and Babington.

A weird sort of tension seemed to pass between Charlotte and Sidney as Charlotte looked right back at him. This was the first time that they had seen each other since he had all but revealed his secret passion for Jane Austen novels to her. There was something…different about seeing Sidney now; now that Charlotte felt like she had discovered so much about him in such a short space of time; now that they both knew that Sidney had left so many comments on _Charlotte's_ blog; now that Charlotte suspected that maybe Sidney was the one who was leaving books in her locker.

It was also kind of nerve-wracking, to be in such close proximity to Sidney Parker, after they had spent a significant part of last weekend interacting through Charlotte's blog and through Instagram, as though secretly leaving each other clues. Charlotte almost felt as though somebody had stolen an imaginary diary of hers and read some of the more private entries. Was that how Sidney felt, too?

What did all of it mean, now? Was Sidney angry or amused or uncomfortable at the knowledge that the two of them were no longer in the dark? Was there any possibility that he was happy about the fact that Charlotte was learning more about him? Was he happy to see her right now, or mildly irritated? Charlotte wasn't sure. He was so difficult to read.

"Sidney!"

Sidney's gaze was pulled away from Charlotte when Arthur called out to him, demanding his full attention.

As his friends finished greeting Arthur and Diana and they came over to talk to Charlotte, Sidney went to hug his sister, before he patted Arthur on the shoulder, the gesture affectionate, and a little protective.

It was quite interesting, Charlotte decided, to see Sidney interact with his siblings and his friends in a setting far away from work. He seemed a lot more relaxed, his body language less guarded, and Charlotte had a feeling that this was for reasons other than his recent alcohol intake.

"And you remember Charlotte, of course?" Arthur asked his brother, his usual enthusiasm intact. He seemed blissfully unaware of the fact that not only did Charlotte and Sidney see each other on a regular basis, but also that they had had a rather turbulent relationship up until recently.

"How could I forget?" Sidney responded to his brother, with more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice, reminding Charlotte of the Sidney that she knew all too well. He almost sounded irritated now, or exasperated, at the very least, and Charlotte tried not to feel a little hurt by that.

Sidney moved to stand next to his friends, and Charlotte could tell from the way that the three men were standing behind the table that they were not planning on staying for very long. They were here out of politeness; out of Sidney's sense of duty to his family, but the looks on their faces suggested that they would already prefer to be at a bar, ordering another round of drinks.

Before anything else could be said, Diana instantly started to recount her whole day so far in Bath to Sidney, barely pausing for breath as she spoke.

It seemed to be taking all of Sidney's effort to appear politely interested in what she had to say, and to cover up the hint of impatience in his facial expression. Charlotte imagined that his discussions with his friends over a few beers this afternoon had been far more entertaining.

Charlotte joined in with the conversation that was now going on between Arthur, Crowe and Babington, but every now and again, she couldn't help noticing that Sidney seemed to glance in her direction a few times while Diana talked at him. It was all very distracting, and Charlotte could hardly focus on what Crowe and Babington were saying to her.

"Charlotte, you really should try the scones here!" Arthur suddenly said to her, distracting Charlotte for a moment from her thoughts about Sidney Parker.

It sounded like Arthur was more interested in ordering more food than the conversations going on around him. He insisted on going to find a waiter to ask about the possibility of three scones being brought over to the table, so that both Charlotte and Diana could have the opportunity to try them, too.

"I think Arthur has become a fan of yours," Sidney Parker muttered to Charlotte as Arthur started to walk away from the table, speaking directly to Charlotte for the first time since he had arrived.

His tone was a mixture of amusement and surprise, and Charlotte guessed that maybe Arthur sometimes struggled to find friends outside of his immediate family group. The Parkers did seem to be a rather close-knit family, after all.

There was gratitude in Sidney's tone, too, and Charlotte knew that he was paying her a compliment, rather than trying to mock her. His appreciation of her kindness to his brother seemed to be overriding his desire to say anything sarcastic.

"He's very sweet," Charlotte told Sidney honestly, unable to hide an affectionate smile as she thought about how Arthur had talked so enthusiastically about his liking for cakes and hot buttered toast.

"Oh no," Crowe suddenly cut into their conversation as he swayed slightly on the spot. Even as he slurred his words, there was a definite hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Sidney will get very jealous…"

At his friend's words, Sidney closed his eyes in obvious exasperation. He did not look angry, exactly; more exasperated.

Babington on the other hand looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"On that note," Sidney finally said with a sigh, ignoring the quizzical looks that his siblings were giving him and aiming a glare in Crowe's direction instead, "we will be leaving now."

The three men hurriedly said their goodbyes, and then both Sidney and Babington seemed to gently guide a still swaying Crowe out of the teashop. Babington looked rather amused by it all, but he quickly schooled his features into a more serious expression when Sidney glanced at him.

The moment the three men were back outside, Charlotte looked through the window in time to see Sidney glare again at Crowe, before he held his hands up in a questioning gesture, like he was silently asking his friend, _Why?_

Crowe simply shrugged in response.

Then the three of them carried on walking, leaving Charlotte to puzzle over what Crowe had just said about Sidney, while she pretended to be suddenly fascinated by the scones that Arthur Parker had just brought over to the table.

* * *

Later that evening, Charlotte sat at the window seat in her hotel room, looking out the window at the streets of Bath below.

She knew that she should try to get some sleep, save up her energy for the Austen ball tomorrow, but right now, she felt like she wanted to stay awake for just a little bit longer, so she could think over the events of the day.

She opened the window as far as it would go, breathing in the fresh air that came in through the small gap that the open window provided.

Only minutes later, she heard a few familiar-sounding voices…

Almost unable to believe it, Charlotte strained her eyes, trying to make out the three silhouettes in the light that a nearby streetlight provided; trying to confirm that the three figures on the street below were exactly who she thought they were.

As the three people walked under the light provided by the nearest street light, Charlotte worked out that it really was them; Sidney, Crowe and Babington were half-walking, half-staggering through the street below, looking like they were on their way to another bar.

From their shouting and laughing, Charlotte could tell that they were in high spirits. It seemed that their drinking was going to continue into the night, now that they had escaped the watchful eyes of the Parker family.

Charlotte watched as Sidney and Babington playfully shoved one another, before Crowe started laughing at what sounded like a sarcastic comment from Sidney. Charlotte was almost certain that she heard the name 'Austen' mentioned a few times as the men laughed and joked.

Crowe seemed to be shouting the loudest out of the three of them: "I am half agony, half hope!" he suddenly shouted out, while Sidney and Babington looked like they were trying not to roll their eyes at him.

Perhaps all three men were bigger fans of Austen than they let on...or this was simply some sort of recurring drunken joke between them.

Charlotte wondered if their current state of drunkenness had inspired the men to start to mockingly shout out Austen quotes.

She could only hope that they weren't planning on using Austen quotes as a way of flirting with women this evening, Sidney especially…but then she quickly shook her head, telling herself that she had no right to think something like that, when she herself would be attending an Austen ball with James Stringer tomorrow. She didn't even know _why_ she had thought that in the first place.

Charlotte moved back a little from the window when Sidney and his friends walked directly under it, but it seemed that Sidney was oblivious to the fact that Charlotte was so close, looking down on him and watching him as he passed. Charlotte would have felt mortified, if he'd looked up and seen her.

Babington shouted out a few more Austen quotes, with Crowe laughing at him the whole time, but Sidney seemed a little reluctant to join in with the quoting, even though he did laugh along with his friends.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling, too, in a sort of fond exasperation, feeling amused by their behaviour.

As usual, Charlotte felt intrigued at getting to see Sidney in a non-professional setting. There was something refreshing, fascinating even, at getting to see Sidney a little drunk and uninhibited, and laughing and being carefree with his friends. She was quickly learning that there was more to Sidney Parker than she had originally thought.

The three men then continued on into the night, leaving Charlotte to wonder what tomorrow might bring.


	9. Chapter 9

On Saturday morning, Charlotte woke up feeling happy and content. There was something almost peaceful about waking up in a four-poster bed in a luxury hotel room, with the sunlight filtering in through a small gap in the curtains. Not to mention that today was the day of the Jane Austen ball, and, in spite of everything that had happened over the past couple of weeks, Charlotte really was looking forward to it. Charlotte's aunt had made so much effort to ensure that Charlotte had a good weekend in Bath, and Charlotte was determined to make the best of her circumstances.

Charlotte stretched out in her bed a little, smiling as she thought about the day ahead. She felt like she had slept better than she had slept in months.

Feeling more than a little indulgent, she decided to order breakfast in bed, taking her time to enjoy it, and then, not feeling in a particular rush to do anything, she spent some time relaxing in her hotel room, sending messages to Georgiana, who had just arrived in Bath, and reading a couple of chapters of _Pride and Prejudice_.

As she poured a cup of tea from a large silver teapot and sat down in the window seat, Charlotte's thoughts drifted to the comment that Crowe had made in the tearoom yesterday when she'd been talking about Arthur; his comment about Sidney getting jealous. What had he meant by that, exactly? Charlotte highly doubted that Sidney would get jealous over a potential friendship between her and Arthur; he'd seemed happy, that Charlotte and Arthur were getting along so well, and it wasn't as though Charlotte and Sidney shared any sort of close friendship themselves, after all.

But, if that wasn't the case, then had Crowe's words had more of a romantic implication? Sidney _had_ seemed rather annoyed by what he'd said, after all.

Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. No, surely not, she decided. Sidney found it amusing at times, perhaps, being in Charlotte's company, and they had a shared interest in their passion for Jane Austen novels…but why would Sidney Parker ever feel that way about _her_? They were from two different worlds, weren't they? And their personalities were so different, and they'd already had so many misunderstandings, and Sidney's ex-girlfriend looked so rich and so glamourous in all of his old Instagram photos; surely Charlotte wouldn't even be Sidney's type?

Feeling a sense of insecurity wash over her, Charlotte started to doubt that she could bring anything to Sidney's life that he did not have already.

Perhaps Crowe was simply seeing something that just wasn't there. Or perhaps he'd thought that it would irritate Sidney all the more, to imply that he had feelings for someone who was the opposite to the type of woman who he was usually interested in.

Charlotte almost felt embarrassed, to be thinking so obsessively about all of this. Did it say more about _her_ , that she cared so much?

* * *

It was after eleven o'clock by the time Charlotte had finally dressed in casual clothes and headed out of the hotel, after having decided to take a walk and get some fresh air.

She ended up returning to Royal Victoria Park, enjoying taking a stroll around The Botanical Gardens within the park, and making sure to take a few photos of the pond, the stream and the rock garden to send to Alison.

* * *

At around midday, Charlotte met with Georgiana for lunch at a restaurant just off the city's main high street.

Georgiana seemed to be in a good mood, greeting Charlotte with a hug when she arrived at the restaurant, and Charlotte could only hope that this good mood was because she was genuinely looking forward to attending the ball later, and not because she was planning on ruining the ball for anyone.

They took their time over deciding what to order, and while they waited for their food, Charlotte told Georgiana about all the places she'd visited so far in Bath, deciding to omit the part about her encounter with Sidney yesterday evening at The Georgian Tearooms, for some reason.

Georgiana seemed to be listening attentively, but Charlotte noticed that she glanced at her phone every few minutes, and she suspected that Georgiana was waiting for a call or a message from Otis.

It turned out that Fred and his girlfriend were walking past the shops near the restaurant, and so Georgiana invited them to join her and Charlotte at the restaurant for dessert.

The four of them laughed and joked and shared a few stories about work as they ate dessert, before Fred headed back to the shops with his girlfriend.

It really was turning out to be a nice afternoon, and Charlotte was glad to have friends around her today; more people to share the experience of a weekend in Bath with.

* * *

After Charlotte and Georgiana left the restaurant, they headed back to Charlotte's hotel to start getting ready for the ball-something that they'd arranged to do earlier in the day when they'd been texting one another-only stopping briefly at Georgiana's hotel along the way so that Georgiana could go and fetch a bag of her belongings.

Georgiana seemed to be impressed by Charlotte's hotel room, if her muttered, "Wow," as she walked through the door was anything to go by.

She walked slowly around the whole room, even spinning around a little as though trying to take it all in, before taking out her phone to take a few photos.

Charlotte, who had already seen that Georgiana's flat in London was quite expensive and luxurious, took it as a compliment that Georgiana was impressed by this hotel room.

Georgiana ordered a bottle of champagne from the hotel Reception downstairs, insisting that it was her treat, and that Charlotte didn't have to worry about the cost, and the two of them started to get ready while they took sips from their glasses of champagne.

They ended up having a fun afternoon, laughing and joking and sharing a little work gossip as they put on their costumes for the evening.

Georgiana helped Charlotte to apply her makeup, and then, when Charlotte couldn't get her hair to look exactly the way she wanted it to, Georgiana muttered, "Here, let me," and she started to style Charlotte's hair into a perfect up-do, so that it looked just like the style in a picture that Charlotte had been trying to copy.

As Georgiana helped Charlotte to clip her golden hairpiece into her hair, Charlotte couldn't help wondering if Georgiana's sudden helpfulness was meant as some kind of peace offering after her behaviour over the past couple of weeks. Charlotte hoped that it was just that, and not some sort of compensation for any not-so-peaceful behaviour that might occur later on at the ball.

Finally, after Charlotte had put on a golden necklace and a pair of earrings as a final touch to compliment her dress, her outfit was complete, and she was almost ready to go.

As Georgiana finished getting ready, looking very stylish in a turquoise dress, Charlotte sat at the dressing table in the corner of her hotel room, taking in her reflection in the mirror. Something about the outfit she was wearing felt oddly…familiar, as though Charlotte had worn it somewhere before…

Charlotte shook her head, trying to snap herself out of her confused thoughts. She did not want to be late for the ball, and she couldn't allow herself to get distracted just yet.

After they had taken a few selfies dressed in their outfits for the ball, Charlotte and Georgiana decided to take a taxi from the hotel to the Assembly Rooms, as they were both wearing heels, and they were worried they might attract too much attention if they tried to walk across the city in full Regency era outfits.

* * *

The modern-day taxi was no carriage from a Jane Austen novel, Charlotte thought to herself as the taxi driver drove them ever closer to their destination, but it provided some nice views of the city of Bath from the car window all the same, and at the very least, it would get them to the Assembly Rooms faster than a carriage would.

Charlotte reached over to grab Georgiana's arm as the taxi approached the Assembly Rooms' main building, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation.

The large exterior of the building was beautiful, designed in old Bath stone, and with four pillars lining the main entrance.

Charlotte stepped out of the taxi with a smile on her face; she had seen this building many times before in pictures, but there was something extra special about being here, in the moment, and seeing it in person.

* * *

It seemed that Charlotte and Georgiana had arrived at the venue a little early. There were a few people dressed in Regency era outfits wandering around outside, but not very many, and Charlotte only recognised a few people from Tom's architecture company. It turned out that Tom had been right about several other companies also choosing to attend this ball for their staff parties; the groups of people from Tom's company seemed rather small in comparison to those from other companies.

Charlotte had arranged to meet James Stringer outside, so that the two of them could walk into the ballroom together, but it looked like he hadn't arrived yet.

Georgiana quickly became distracted, typing frantically on her phone and then muttering something about going to meet someone just around the corner, before she walked away, leaving Charlotte to make small talk with a few of the people who she actually recognised from work.

It wasn't long however, before Charlotte heard the sound of a familiar voice, calling her name.

She turned around to see Babington, who was waving at her with a smile on his face. He looked very smart, dressed in a typical Regency-era men's outfit of trousers, a tailcoat, a shirt with a square cut collar and a cravat.

To Charlotte's delight, she saw that Babington was not alone; Esther was walking arm-in-arm with him, looking very elegant in long, silver-coloured dress, the two of them gazing into each other's eyes every couple of seconds as they got closer to Charlotte.

Charlotte knew that Babington had been planning on asking Esther to the ball, but she hadn't been sure if he'd been brave enough to go through with it, or even if Esther had said yes. Charlotte had had her doubts yesterday, when she had not seen Esther in Bath, but she was delighted to see that she was here with Babington now.

Whenever Esther wasn't looking right at Babington, she walked with her head held high, and a rather haughty expression on her face, as though trying to create the impression to the people who she passed that she was doing everyone a great favour by being here.

However, as soon as the couple got a little closer to Charlotte, Esther responded to Charlotte's smile with a smile of her own, looking nervous but happy to be here with Babington, and Charlotte suspected-not for the first time-that Esther's haughty expressions were all for show.

They had just said their 'hellos', and Babington had just started to talk about how several members of staff from his own companies had decided to attend the ball this evening, when Charlotte became completely distracted by the sight of somebody else approaching…

Sidney Parker was walking towards them, dressed in Regency era clothing, with a confident, almost arrogant look on his face as he walked through the small crowd of people that was now starting to gather on the road leading up to the Assembly Rooms, the look on his face almost suggesting that he thought the event was beneath him.

Yet Sidney still seemed to draw many admiring glances from women as he walked past them, despite the rather irritated-looking expression on his face, and Charlotte could see why. She knew that if there was ever a moment that truly took her breath away, then this would be it…as much as she was loath to admit it.

Sidney just looked so handsome, dressed in his costume. It was not that what he was wearing stood out drastically from what the other men were wearing, exactly; he wore a fairly standard outfit of a black tailcoat and trousers, along with a white shirt…And yet, there was something about seeing him dressed from head to toe in Regency era clothes-clothes that suited him so well-coupled with the way that he carried himself as he walked, with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, that was quite annoyingly attractive, and almost mesmerising.

Charlotte felt as though she could not take her eyes off him, and she had to silently remind herself several times over that not only had she agreed to attend this ball with James Stringer, but also that her and Sidney were still not on the best of terms…not to mention that she did not want to make it obvious to everyone around her that she was _looking_ at Sidney.

She couldn't help feeling irrationally relieved that Sidney did not seem to have brought another woman with the ball with him, even though she knew it was a little selfish to feel that way, after she had agreed to attend the ball with James. Although, Charlotte tried to remind herself, even though she didn't particularly like the thoughts she was having, Sidney's decision to attend the ball alone would not prevent him from dancing and flirting with attractive women throughout the evening, and so Charlotte would have to be prepared for that, if it happened.

Sidney seemed to recognise his friends among the groups of people, and he walked a little closer so that he could stand next to Babington and Esther, which meant that he ended up standing directly opposite Charlotte.

Sidney and Babington seemed to have recovered well from their drinking the night before. They both looked calm, refreshed. Charlotte suspected that both men had plenty of experience in attending several parties over one weekend.

Now that Sidney was standing quite close, Charlotte could see that he was also wearing a golden waistcoat, the colour almost exactly matching the shade of gold of Charlotte's dress, by some strange coincidence. Charlotte felt a sense of sadness, almost, as she took in the colour of the waistcoat; she could see that their outfits would have been a perfect complement to the other, had they both attended the ball together.

Sidney's features seemed to visibly relax as he stood by his friends, especially when Babington grinned at him, still looking so happy to be here with Esther, and Charlotte wondered if Sidney's arrogant expression had perhaps been for show; a defence mechanism when he was around people he didn't know; a way of guarding against anyone getting too close.

Sidney greeted Charlotte with what seemed like a casual, polite nod of his head, the greeting no doubt looking very formal to anyone who passed, but his eyes seemed to linger on Charlotte for a few moments longer than was necessary.

"Sidney, I do believe that you are happy," Charlotte heard Esther tell him, her words echoing Charlotte's previous suspicions that, in spite of what he had said previously, it was no real burden for Sidney to attend this event. He almost seemed to be enjoying himself. "It's rather unnerving," Esther added, as though she couldn't help herself, the usual hint of sarcasm in her voice. Perhaps she was not used to seeing Sidney looking so relaxed and so at home at an event.

"You are simply confusing happiness with _amusement_ , Esther," Sidney retorted, aiming what looked like one of his typical looks of derision (a look that Charlotte knew so well) at a group of people who just happened to be passing at that very moment, all of them jumping up and down and shrieking excitedly at the prospect of running into a 'Mr. Darcy' later at the ball.

"Of course," Esther responded with a raised eyebrow, ignoring how Sidney rolled his eyes at the retreating backs of the Mr. Darcy fans, and looking like she didn't believe a word he was saying.

Any further conversation about Sidney's happiness was interrupted by the sight of Crowe, who walked towards the group with a slight sway to his step, which suggested that he had been drinking again today in advance of the ball.

Babington seemed to be unable to hold back his laughter on seeing his friend dressed in a full Regency costume, and even Sidney could not hide an amused-looking smile as Crowe approached.

Charlotte had wondered if Crowe would attend the ball with Clara, but it seemed he had decided against it. Perhaps he had decided that it wouldn't be worth any potential drama that could occur if Clara and Esther were in the same room together for a whole evening.

Crowe was greeted by further laughter and jokes and even a few jeers from his friends before he finally came to a halt next to Babington.

"Did you know," he mumbled, with a slight slur to his speech, "that there is a hen party here tonight, attending the ball…" The appreciative look on Crowe's face suggested that the women in the hen party all looked very attractive in their costumes. "I got talking to them just down the road there. I told them that I was a stripper," he added with a smirk.

Babington grinned and rolled his eyes, looking both amused and exasperated by his friend's antics.

"I fear that this is an indication of the 'quality' of the conversation that we can expect from you for the rest of the evening," Sidney said to Crowe, with the typical sarcasm back in his voice, although he also looked a little amused.

"Let's show the ladies the masks, Parker!" Crowe interrupted him, suddenly looking very enthusiastic.

At Charlotte and Esther's confused frowns, Sidney lowered his voice and began to explain: "Crowe thought it would be 'hilarious' if the three of us wore matching Regency-era masks this evening," he said with a sigh, although he did not really look all that irritated by Crowe's bright idea.

At a little further persuasion from Crowe, Sidney and Babington reached into their tailcoat pockets to take out rather intricate and expensive-looking black and gold Venetian style masks; masks which seemed to complement their outfits perfectly, and would no doubt give the three men an air of mystique whenever they chose to put them on during the ball.

As the three men placed the masks over their faces in almost perfect sync, Charlotte felt that bizarre sense of deja-vu all over again as she looked at Sidney's masked face. It was almost as though she had seen him dressed like this before, even though the very idea of it was rather impossible…

Babington, Esther and Crowe soon started to share a conversation about their outfits, but Sidney did not join in with it.

"Well, what do you think, Miss Heywood?" he asked Charlotte instead, still looking right at her.

It took Charlotte a few moments to work out that Sidney was asking for her opinion on his choice of outfit for the evening.

There were several things that Charlotte could say about how he looked this evening, but she was not sure that any of the words she said would be appropriate, exactly, given that she was due to meet with James Stringer here soon.

"You look like a true Austen hero, Mr. Parker," Charlotte settled on telling him, trying to keep her smile and her tone of voice casual.

The smile that Sidney gave her in response almost made her feel breathless. It seemed that Esther was right, and he really was happy here.

"Coming from you, that is a compliment indeed," Sidney told her, a rare playful tone to his voice now.

"Charlotte?"

Charlotte jumped a little at the sound of James Stringer's voice, calling her name.

The smile was quickly wiped from Sidney Parker's face, and his distant, guarded expression suddenly reappeared.

It definitely felt as though whatever happy moment the two of them had just been sharing had been abruptly interrupted.

Charlotte turned around to see James Stringer, standing a couple of feet away from her, looking like he was waiting for her to go over and join him.

"James," Charlotte greeted him, wondering why her voice was shaking a little. She tried to smile, but the less-than-thrilled look on James's face on seeing Sidney Parker definitely made it feel like her smile was a little forced now.

"Mr. Stringer," Sidney greeted James with a slight inclination of his head, sounding like he was struggling to keep his voice polite, level.

"Mr. Parker," James greeted him, although he too seemed to be struggling to be polite. The expression on his face was definitely less than pleasant.

Charlotte felt a little shocked. James usually looked so happy, so relaxed; she had never really seen him looking annoyed like this before.

The two men continued to stare at each other, and there was a definite sense of tension in the air around them.

"S-shall we go inside?" Charlotte asked James, trying to snap herself back into some sense of reality, and feeling a little nervous at the obvious animosity.

James nodded in agreement, but still he looked tense as he and Charlotte headed towards the building's main doors.

Before they went inside, Charlotte spotted Georgiana, standing a little further down the road, and looking like she was waiting for someone.

Charlotte got her attention and made a gesture to ask her if she wanted to walk with her and James into the building, but Georgiana shook her head, gesturing for Charlotte and James to go ahead without her.

As she walked into the building, it took all of Charlotte's efforts not to glance one more time over her shoulder to catch another glimpse of Sidney in his costume.

* * *

Charlotte and James walked through the building's entrance hallway arm in arm, as though trying to ensure that they did not lose each other among the crowd.

A signpost pointed the way to the ballroom, while also providing directions to a Tea Room and a Card Room within the building, as well as directions to a small garden outside, all of which were open to guests for the evening.

A bit of a line had formed in the entrance hallway as rather a lot of people waited to walk through the doors that led into the ballroom, and so Charlotte and James could only stand in line and wait and take small steps towards the doors to the ballroom.

Charlotte tried to distract herself from her thoughts about Sidney by thinking about how James really did look nice in his costume. He usually dressed in more casual clothes for work, as he was often out at the building sites during the day, and so it was a nice change, to see him in more formal clothes. He suited the more formal attire well, and Charlotte could imagine him one day in the near future, attending exclusive events in London after he became a successful architect.

Up ahead, a waiter stood in the entrance way to the ballroom, carrying a tray filled with glasses of champagne for the guests to help themselves to.

Charlotte spotted Tom and Mary, their arms linked as they walked towards the ballroom doors, deep in conversation.

"I heard a rumour that Lady Susan is here this evening," Charlotte heard Tom tell Mary, his tone sounding almost breathless with excitement.

Charlotte tried to hear more of their conversation…Perhaps it was a bit unlikely, but she couldn't help hoping that 'Lady Susan', and the Susan who she had met at Sidney's party, were one and the same.

Maybe Tom simply viewed Lady Susan as a potential investor for his business, but Charlotte was excited at the prospect of getting to have another conversation with Susan, if she really was here at the ball.

A couple of minutes later, Mary glanced over her shoulder and smiled when she spotted Charlotte, before she mouthed something to Charlotte about how pretty she looked.

Charlotte smiled back at her.

As Mary and Tom walked through the main doors, Charlotte couldn't help noticing that Mary refused a glass of champagne from the waiter who was carrying the tray of drinks, before she seemed to place a hand almost pointedly over her abdomen. Charlotte watched her for a little while longer, feeling intrigued, and wondering if Mary had some special news that she had not yet shared.

After Tom and Mary had disappeared from view, Charlotte recognised a few other people among the crowd, including Fred and the Beaufort sisters, and she waved at a few of her colleagues.

She then heard Arthur and Diana Parker, who were talking rapidly from somewhere behind her…

"Well, Sidney certainly seems to be a lot happier this weekend!" she could just about hear Arthur tell his sister.

"You're right," she heard Diana reply to her brother. "I wonder what has brought about this change…"

* * *

Finally, Charlotte and James were right by the doors leading into the ballroom. After she had accepted a glass of champagne, Charlotte took a deep breath and then walked through the open doors.

Even those who were not fans of Jane Austen would struggle not to be awestruck by the beauty of the Assembly Rooms' ballroom, Charlotte decided.

Charlotte had to pause for a few moments in the doorway just to glance up and around the whole room, trying to take it all in…

Large, crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, while several first-floor balconies overlooked the floor below.

The walls had been painted in a soothing shade of light blue, and several large windows positioned all around the room let in what was left of the day's sunlight.

A space had been cleared on the large, polished wooden floor to make room for a dance floor, while circular tables, each of which seated about ten people, had been positioned around the room.

It was clear that the room had been kept in its Georgian style, and for a few moments, Charlotte couldn't help feeling like she had just walked through a door to the past, or even a door that led into a fictional, romantic Jane Austen novel.

Again, Charlotte was hit by a strange and surprising sense of deja-vu. Something about this ballroom felt very familiar; almost as though she had walked through this very room many times before…even though she had never visited the Assembly Rooms, until today. She could not even recall any childhood visits to the city of Bath.

Charlotte shook her head, deciding to just let this thought go, for now. No doubt she had simply seen so many photos of this room, and watched so many videos of various Jane Austen themed balls on the Internet with Alison, that this room now looked as familiar to her as a place that she had actually visited.

* * *

James and Charlotte headed over to a table in the far corner of the room, where they were quickly joined by several of their work colleagues and James's friends as they took their seats.

There seemed to be a sort of anticipation in the air, and Charlotte picked up on the constant sounds of exited chatter and laughter. Everybody seemed happy to be here, and it sounded like they were enjoying the novelty of it all, and looking forward to the evening ahead.

Charlotte glanced all around the room, trying to catch glimpses of all the other guests in their Regency era costumes. Several of the guests were wearing masks that looked similar to the ones that Sidney and his friends had chosen to wear. 

She noticed Sidney enter the room with Crowe, Babington and Esther (Charlotte was more than a little relieved to see that Sidney had not walked into the room next to any of the other women), and the group of friends sat down at a table with Tom and Mary, and Arthur and Diana.

Both Arthur and Diana waved enthusiastically at Charlotte when they saw her looking in their direction, and Charlotte couldn't help smiling as she waved back at them.

Charlotte did not see Susan in the room. She wondered if she had not in fact shown up, or whether Lady Susan and the Susan who Charlotte had met at Sidney's house were not the same person after all.

Charlotte took another quick look around the room. There was still no sign of Georgiana.

It wasn't long before waiters and waitresses were bringing food over to the table. As Charlotte and James ate their starters, they fell into easy conversation about James's work at the site of the new hotel in London.

James had seemed a little tense in the entrance hall, and after his encounter with Sidney, but now, finally, he looked more relaxed.

He took out his phone to show Charlotte several photos of the building site, as well as copies of a few more recent designs, and Charlotte scrolled through all the photos, eager to see how everything was progressing, and asking James several questions about the designs along the way; questions which he answered patiently.

It was only after they finished their starters, and while they were waiting for the main course to be served, that Georgiana suddenly entered the ballroom, hand-in-hand with Otis Molyneux.

James looked a little shocked to see Otis with Georgiana, but Charlotte was not at all surprised. She had suspected all along that this was what Georgiana had been planning.

Several people paused their conversations so that they could turn in their seats and look at Georgiana, many of them no doubt wondering why she had decided to enter the room so late with her date.

A tense silence seemed to settle into the room, before a few guests started to whisper to one another about Georgiana and Otis's late arrival.

The expression on Georgiana's face was defiant as she walked into the room with Otis, and Charlotte knew that this was exactly what she had wanted; to arrive late and attract attention and make some sort of point.

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder to look in Sidney's direction. He definitely looked irritated by Otis and Georgiana's arrival, but he seemed to be trying his best not to look too annoyed in front of his friends and siblings. Like Charlotte, he also didn't look surprised by this turn of events.

Again, Charlotte wondered what had really happened in the past-or how Sidney had interpreted past events with Otis, at least-for Otis to now be so unwelcome at events with the Parker family.

As the Parkers started whispering to one another, with Sidney looking rather reluctant to join in with their gossiping, Charlotte quickly turned away from him before he could notice that she'd been looking at him.

To Charlotte's relief, Georgiana and Otis ended up sitting at a table that was quite a distance away from Charlotte and James's table, which meant that Charlotte's table did not become the focus of attention, or the focus of any curious glances from the other guests. Perhaps Georgiana had sensed that Charlotte did not want to have any part in this.

Otis did wave at her however when he saw that Charlotte was looking over at the two of them.

Charlotte waved back. _She_ had been given no reason to dislike Otis, after all, and he had been polite to her when she'd first met him at The Ivy.

* * *

As the main course was brought out to the tables, Charlotte tried to think of something to say so that she would not spend the next half an hour talking with James about Georgiana and Otis's relationship.

She started to talk about all the time she had spent in Bath so far, while James asked her questions about the places she had visited in the city, looking genuinely interested as Charlotte talked about parks and tourist attractions.

James really was easy to talk to, Charlotte thought to herself as she told him about her visit to a local restaurant with Georgiana earlier in the afternoon. She felt comfortable being around him, and they made each other laugh. Charlotte just wasn't sure if she could see him as anything more than a friend, and yet again she felt an uncomfortable tug of guilt, as she wondered if she was simply giving him false hope by being here at the ball with him in the first place.

The food was delicious, and the conversation at the table was interesting, but Charlotte couldn't help feeling impatient for this part of the evening to be over, so that the dancing could commence. She was eager to get to the dance floor; to dance and to hear the music and to live the dream of Austen fans everywhere.

Everybody else however seemed to be taking their time with their food, savouring each and every bite, and Charlotte suspected that she would still have a little while to wait before the dancing started.

* * *

There was a bit of a pause between the main course and dessert, and Charlotte used the time to walk towards the bar on the opposite side of the room to order more drinks.

It was more of an excuse to walk around and appreciate the beauty of the ballroom than anything else, and so she took her time walking towards the bar, trying to take everything in.

She had to walk past Sidney's table on her way, and, although she tried to keep her distance as she passed, so as not to make it look like she was walking past Sidney on purpose, she could still hear some of the conversation that was going on around the table…

"Well, we already suspected that Georgiana would spring some sort of…surprise on us this evening," Charlotte heard Sidney tell Arthur, with barely concealed sarcasm in his tone of voice.

A quick glance at the expression on Sidney's face however suggested that he was trying to reassure his brother, to play the situation down and put the idea in his brother's head that Georgiana's decision to arrive at the ball with Otis was perhaps not as bad as it seemed.

"Would you rather Georgiana had agreed to attend the ball with someone like Edward?" Tom asked Sidney, perhaps picking up on the look of disapproval on Sidney's face as he talked to Arthur, and looking like he was trying in his own way to put the situation into perspective.

"Certainly not," Sidney responded instantly, looking horrified at the very thought of it.

Charlotte felt heartened by this reaction; it seemed that Sidney was not in fact hoping that Georgiana would end up with Edward after all, in the way that Georgiana seemed to think he was. His disapproval of Edward was very clear in his tone of voice.

As she approached the bar, Charlotte noticed that Esther was standing in a corner of the room a few feet away from her, talking on her phone.

Charlotte was about to keep walking towards her destination and give Esther a little privacy, as it was clear that she had stepped away from her table to find a quiet corner of the room in order to take this call, but she suddenly became a little distracted by the sound of the voice coming through the phone; it was a voice that was oh-so-familiar to Charlotte…

"Why didn't you _tell_ me that you were going to a party this evening? On a _date_?" the bossy voice demanded through Esther's phone. "I could have offered you advice on how to conduct yourself, and advice on what to wear, of course…"

Charlotte recognised that voice, because she had heard it herself many times over the years, while her aunt bossed her around and demanded to know everything about her life.

Esther's response to Charlotte's aunt surprised her even more…

"Have you considered, Aunt," she said, her tone a mixture of amusement and sarcasm, as Charlotte's eyes slowly started to widen in shock, "that these were perhaps the very reasons why I didn't tell you in the first place?"

_Aunt_ …

Charlotte repeated the word in her mind several times over.

Esther was clearly speaking with _Charlotte's_ aunt; Charlotte recognised her voice; she had even been almost certain that she had heard this voice on Esther's phone once before, but she'd tried to tell herself that she'd only been imagining things. And Esther had called Charlotte's aunt, ' _Aunt_ ', as well.

It could only mean one thing…

Esther ended her call and turned around to glance at Charlotte.

Charlotte struggled to regain her composure. It was strange, to look at someone who she had just discovered was likely a relative of hers. Her aunt had so many nieces and nephews that she often did not have the time talk about them all, but Charlotte vaguely remembered her aunt saying the name 'Esther', once, on the phone. It was all starting to make a strange sort of sense…

Esther made a big show of rolling her eyes at her phone and giving an exasperated-sounding sigh, apparently still oblivious to the fact that her aunt was also Charlotte's aunt.

There was so much that Charlotte could say, but she decided to leave it, for now-she could already see that Babington was looking over in Esther's direction, no doubt waiting for her to return to the table to spend more time with him, and Charlotte was aware of the fact that they were at a very busy, formal event, where there would be a lot of potential distractions if Charlotte attempted some sort of serious conversation about family.

She decided to wait until she was back in London to have a proper conversation with Esther about the fact that they might be related. No doubt her and Esther would visit the Starbucks by Charlotte's workplace at the same time at some point next week; Charlotte would ask her then if she could talk to her about this news.

Charlotte expected Esther to simply nod or smile politely at her as she started to walk back towards her table, but instead Esther paused as she went to walk past her…

"Don't be fooled by all the sneers and the sarcastic comments," she said to Charlotte in a low voice as she nodded discreetly in Sidney Parker's direction. "If he truly didn't care, he would act with total indifference. Although," she added, looking like she was deep in thought, "I'll admit that 'Mr. Parker' certainly seems happier, and more relaxed than usual, tonight…"

"I think the opportunity to attend a Jane Austen ball must have brought out his happier side," Charlotte said in a rush, already fighting off a flush of embarrassment as she tried to work out what Esther was really trying to tell her.

"Really?" Esther asked Charlotte with a raised eyebrow, her expression reminding Charlotte forcibly of her aunt for a moment. "Are you _sure_ that's the only reason?"

With that, she turned and started to head back towards Babington, before Charlotte could say anything else.

Charlotte felt a little dazed as she returned to her table with her drinks, her mind running over the words that Esther had just said, as well as her discovery about the identity of Esther's aunt, and wondering where exactly Esther fit into this particular story of hers; but still she tried her best to smile as dessert was brought over to the table, so that James would not suspect that there was anything wrong. She wasn't really sure why she didn't want to talk about any of it with him yet.

* * *

At long last, everyone had eaten their dessert, and the tables had been cleared.

Charlotte could almost imagine that there was a sort of magic in the air as a silence fell over the room and the lights dimmed, and then the first chords of a song began to play.

Several couples headed towards the dance floor. Charlotte saw Babington get up out of his seat and hold his hand out to Esther with a besotted-looking smile on his face.

Esther looked a little flushed, and Charlotte suspected that all of this was quite far out of her comfort zone, but still she smiled and took Babington's hand so that he could lead her to the dance floor.

With a smile, James held out his hand, silently asking Charlotte to dance with him.

Charlotte smiled and nodded, pleased that James had the confidence to ask her to dance the first dance, especially when there weren't many couples on the dance floor yet.

James led her towards the dance floor, and then the two of them stood facing one another as the introductory chords of the song continued to play.

James bowed to her, looking like one of the characters in an Austen novel, and Charlotte dropped into a quick curtsey, before James took her hand and they began to dance together, repeating all the moves that they had practiced in the staff room in the two weeks leading up to the ball.

It was…fun, being on the dance floor with James, and he really was a good dancer, and Charlotte was enjoying the novelty of dancing to Regency era music while in costume, but still, she couldn't help feeling a little…distracted.

For a little while, she made a plan of her family tree in her mind, going through a list of relatives that she knew of on her mother's side of the family, and trying to work out where Esther might fit in, and wondering whether they were related by blood or by marriage, but then her eyes quickly fell on Sidney, who was leaning against the wall close to his table with his arms folded. He appeared to be engaged in conversation with a few of his work colleagues who were sitting at a table nearby, but every now and again, Charlotte felt like he was watching her as she danced with James, the expression on his face unreadable.

Otis and Georgiana were also slow-dancing on the dance floor close to Charlotte and James, but Sidney did not seem to be paying either of them much attention.

Sidney really was handsome, Charlotte thought to herself, as she kept looking over at him and she took in his Regency costume all over again. _Why_ did he have to look so handsome tonight? Why did he have to suit the 'Regency look' so perfectly? Why did he have to look so much like an Austen hero from Charlotte's own imagination?

Even as the second song began to play, Charlotte still struggled to tear her eyes away from him, even though she felt guilty for it, as she felt like she should be giving her undivided attention to James.

The third song was more of a group dance, and so Charlotte had the opportunity to dance next to Georgiana for a little while.

It was fun at first, with the two girls laughing as they span each other around, but then Georgiana's expression suddenly became serious.

"Why is Sidney looking at you like that?" she asked Charlotte in a low voice as she danced next to her, her tone of voice full of suspicion.

"Like what?" Charlotte asked her, genuinely clueless as to what Georgiana was talking about.

"Like he wants to…" Georgiana started with a frown, but then she seemed to stop herself. "Never mind," she muttered, before she moved over to dance with James, and then Otis, leaving Charlotte feeling rather confused.

It was only during the fourth song, when Sidney moved to the other side of the room to talk to Crowe and a few of their friends that Charlotte was able to focus on James again.

The two of them shared a few laughs as the beat of the music picked up a little and the people around them became a bit less inhibited with their dance moves.

Arthur Parker looked like he was in his element; he was dancing right in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by a few of his male work colleagues, who all appeared to be sharing a laugh at his exuberance. There was definitely a spring in Arthur's step, and his enthusiasm seemed to be having a positive influence on other people who were on the dance floor.

The music continued to play, and the dance floor gradually became a little more crowded. Tom and Mary were now among the dancers, with Tom looking almost as enthusiastic as Arthur did.

Charlotte recognised a few of the dances from her extensive reading about the Regency era, like the waltz, and the quadrille, which was performed by couples in a rectangular formation.

She was also pleased to recognise several of the songs from a few Austen adaptations that she had watched over the years; it seemed that the event's organisers really were trying to stay close to the Austen theme.

As yet another group dance began, Charlotte glanced over James's shoulder to see that Georgiana was now standing next to Sidney near the back of the room.

Charlotte could sense, from their irritated-looking expressions and the way that they conversed rapidly, that the two of them were bickering. No doubt Sidney was letting Georgiana know exactly how he felt about Georgiana's decision to ask Otis to the ball, while Georgiana seemed to be sharing a few opinions of her own.

A few minutes later, Georgiana rolled her eyes and stormed away from Sidney, quickly vanishing into the crowd.

It wasn't long before Sidney was approached by a group of women, who appeared to be asking him if he would pose for photos with them. It seemed that they also thought that he looked handsome in his costume, the same way that Charlotte did.

Charlotte didn't know why she felt an irrational sense of jealousy as the women began to take photos with him. She had to force herself to look away from what looked like a lot of obvious flirting as she continued dancing with James.

* * *

The moment the song ended, James Stringer was approached by Julia Beaufort, who asked him to dance with her.

"You don't mind, do you, Charlotte?" James asked her, looking a little hesitant.

"No, of course not," Charlotte told him. And she realised that she really didn't mind. It was okay, if James wanted to dance a few of the dances with other people.

Still looking a little hesitant, James went to dance with Julia.

It wasn't long before Charlotte was approached by Arthur, who asked Charlotte to dance with a smile and a rather comical-looking bow.

Charlotte had fun, dancing with Arthur. She was impressed that he seemed to know most of the dance moves quite well, and she couldn't help laughing when he invented a few steps of his own.

"I wish I could spend the rest of my life dressing up and attending balls!" Arthur declared as he span Charlotte around. "I could do this every weekend! I'm determined to try to dance with everyone I know here tonight…if only this night would never end!"

Charlotte couldn't help smiling as she listened to him.

Arthur dropped into another elaborate bow as the song ended, and then his attention was quickly taken up by Diana, who now wanted to dance with him.

Charlotte was half contemplating returning to dance with James, but the moment the song was over, he was approached by Phillida, who seemed to think that it was only fair that she should get to dance with James, now that her sister had had the opportunity to dance with him.

With an apologetic-looking shrug in Charlotte's direction, he began to dance with Phillida.

Charlotte danced with James's friend Fred for a couple of minutes, but she didn't think it was fair to take up too much of his time when he was here with a girlfriend who he had not been in relationship with for very long, and so Charlotte excused herself from the dance floor before the song was over, leaving Fred to go and dance with his girlfriend.

* * *

Charlotte walked away from the dance floor, feeling almost glad to take a short break.

She headed back towards her table in the far corner of the room, where she took a few sips of water.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Sidney still seemed to have the full attention of a large group of women, all of whom were posing for photos with him. He was wearing his mask again, and Charlotte wondered if some of the women had requested that Sidney wear it for their photos, to complement his outfit, and to add to the sense of mystery as they stood next to a masked stranger in their pictures.

Crowe also seemed to have got in on the act, as he too was posing for photos with a group of admirers of his own, occasionally putting his own mask to his face and looking thrilled to be the centre of so much attention.

Charlotte wondered if it was perhaps a little unfair, for Sidney and Crowe to be expected to pose for so many photos, but neither of them seemed mind it. Perhaps they were both used to getting attention like this when they went to parties; it was likely that they were enjoying it.

Charlotte turned away, focusing on finishing her glass of water and wondering when would be a good time to return to the dance floor to try to find James Stringer.

A quick glance over her shoulder showed that Otis had just approached James, a rather apprehensive look on his face. He made a gesture to James that suggested that he wanted to talk to him about something, and then the two men headed out of a side door on the other side of the room, perhaps going to find another room so that they could have a private conversation about all of the drama that was currently going on in Otis and Georgiana's lives.

"Miss Heywood…"

Charlotte jumped a little at the sound of that voice. She had not even heard him approach; she had been so certain that he would be distracted with women and photos for a little while longer, and now it was a little unnerving to have Sidney Parker approach her unexpectedly.

"Mr. Parker," said Charlotte as she turned to face him, trying to look calm and composed.

A quick glance a few feet away from where they were standing showed Charlotte that the groups of women looked rather disappointed to no longer be interacting with Sidney. She wondered what had inspired Sidney to leave them and approach her instead.

"You seem to have found a lot of new fans here this evening," Charlotte told him with a smile, trying to ease her own nerves and keep things light as she made a joking reference to his words to her yesterday about Arthur.

"Maybe they are simply attracted to the costume, the character, the air of mystery," Sidney responded with a raised eyebrow. "Just a hopeless fantasy, perhaps?" he added, with the hint of a smile curling at his lips.

His tone might have been light-hearted, but Charlotte felt as though her heart skipped a few beats at his words.

Something seemed to shift in the atmosphere around them.

Sidney had just all but confirmed his secret identity with that 'hopeless fantasy' reference, hadn't he? With a direct reference to the title and the theme of her latest blog post?

Up until now, there had been some sort of plausible deniability on both of their parts, perhaps; a way of brushing it all off if Charlotte ever confronted Sidney directly about the possibility that he was in fact _LostinPemberley_. But now, surely there was no denying it anymore?

The two of them continued to stare at each other.

How did Sidney feel, Charlotte wondered, now that this particular secret was out in the open? Was he angry, happy, relieved to know that the two of them had been communicating through Charlotte's blog for the past two years? What did he think about _her_ , now that he knew for sure that she was the one who ran that blog? Did he even _like_ her blog posts, or did he disagree with most of what she had written?

But, Charlotte reminded herself, he must have _wanted_ to confirm his identity to her this evening, given what he had just told her. He must have _wanted_ her to know for certain, or he wouldn't have said anything in the first place.

She wondered why he had decided that tonight was the night to finally reveal it.

Charlotte wanted to say something in return, to offer some sort of acknowledgement, perhaps, but she noticed that Babington was now standing quite close to Sidney, perhaps taking a break from dancing and seeking out his friend to talk about how the evening was going so far. Charlotte wasn't sure if Sidney would want Babington to overhear a conversation about ' _LostinPemberley'_.

Just when Charlotte was starting to think that the silence was going to stretch out for a little while longer, Sidney was the one to break it…

"Perhaps," he said, sounding more serious, more uncertain now, "if you think that Mr. Stringer wouldn't mind, you would do me the honour of dancing one dance with me, at least?"

Charlotte tried not to widen her eyes in surprise at the request. She had not really expected Sidney to ask her to dance at all tonight; she had even started to suspect that he was going to avoid the dance floor altogether; she hadn't really thought that he'd _wanted_ to dance with her.

"Well?" Sidney asked her as he held out a hand to her, although there was none of the usual hint of impatience in his voice now.

Another glance around the room showed that James had not yet returned to the ballroom, and the music that was currently playing was rather fast and upbeat; surely James wouldn't mind…

Charlotte looked back at Sidney and nodded, surprised by just how much she _wanted_ to dance with him. She tried to tell herself that she was just curious to find out what he would be like as a dance partner, but she had a feeling that there was a little more to it than that, especially as her heart was starting to beat faster again, and she felt both nervous and excited at what was about to happen.

Sidney's expression was unreadable as Charlotte agreed to dance with him, but he nodded and took a step forward.

Suddenly, he placed a hand over the mask on his face, as though only just remembering that he was still wearing it.

Quickly, he removed his mask, apparently deciding that he would prefer to dance without it.

The gesture sent a fresh wave of deja-vu through Charlotte's mind, and she was starting to feel rather befuddled by how familiar everything about this evening seemed to be.

As though acting on instinct, Babington stepped forward, taking the mask out of Sidney's waiting hand with a grin on his face, and tucking it away into his own pocket, like he was going to keep hold of it for a little while, to help his friend out.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling to herself, feeling amused by how in sync Sidney and his friends seemed to be, their actions always suggesting that they had known each other for a long time and truly trusted each other.

However, as she placed her hand over Sidney's, allowing him to lead her towards the dance floor, Charlotte soon began to feel rather terrified again.

As they approached the dance floor, the music suddenly changed to a slower, more romantic song.

Charlotte felt a little hesitant now, especially as the groups of friends and work colleagues on the dance floor seemed to drift away, making way for the couples who were now heading towards the dance floor, including Tom and Mary, and Babington and Esther-Babington must have asked Esther to dance again the moment Charlotte and Sidney started to head towards the dance floor.

"It's all right, you know," Charlotte started to babble, still feeling a little breathless, and more than a little doubtful, "if you'd rather dance this dance with somebody else…" She found that she did not want Sidney Parker to simply dance to a slow, romantic song like this with her only out of politeness.

Sidney stopped walking for a moment to look right at her. "I don't want to dance with anyone else," he told her, with such sincerity in his voice that Charlotte barely knew how to react.

"Oh," Charlotte simply said in response as they both took those last steps towards the dance floor. She was starting to feel a little flustered.

* * *

Finally, the two of them stood facing each other on the dance floor. The music that was playing was so beautiful- it seemed to be telling a story of both triumph and tragedy-but it was doing very little to ease Charlotte's nerves.

They started off the dance slowly, with the two of them taking a step closer to each other, going through the motions of taking one step, and then another, before walking in a couple of circles around one another, following the set routine like the other couples on the dance floor; a routine that Sidney apparently knew off by heart, in the same way that Charlotte did.

They walked around each other again, in time to the music, and their hands briefly touched as part of the routine. Charlotte told herself that she was only imagining a sensation of what felt a little like sparks passing through her gloved hand.

Charlotte couldn't help raising an eyebrow, impressed by Sidney's dance skills. He had danced dances like this one many times before, she realised. She should have known; it was clear that he had been to formal events like this before; that he was well-practiced in Regency-style dances; his movements were almost effortless.

As they moved closer still and crossed their arms and joined hands, Charlotte noticed that Sidney smirked at her a little. He knew that Charlotte was impressed with him; it was clear by the expression on his face.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling back at him, and then the two of them shared a laugh. Perhaps their laughter was in part due to nerves, but it felt more like they were sharing the amusement of the two of them being here, together, on the dance floor, now that they both knew and understood that the other was an avid fan of Jane Austen-although perhaps they appreciated her works for slightly different reasons; and both of them were _good_ at this, which was quite amusing in itself… and they had somehow ended up sharing this special moment together, in spite of all of their past conflict and disagreements.

Charlotte hoped that Jane would have been proud of the two of them.

As they smiled at each other again, Charlotte felt like some of the unspoken tension that had always been there between the two of them start to ease a little.

She wondered if this was who Sidney was, during those secret moments when he wasn't putting on a mask of indifference to the world; when he wasn't trying to push people away.

Sidney gently lifted Charlotte's hand above her head, so that he could hold her hand as she span around.

The moment sent a fresh spark of recognition through Charlotte's mind, and she tried to focus on the next dance move and not think about it too much.

Sidney looked a little smug now, she realised; he knew that he was a match for Charlotte's own dance skills; he knew that Charlotte had not been expecting this, and now she was pleasantly surprised.

Charlotte thought that it was a great loss to others, but also a great personal gain for herself, that nobody else at the ball had had the opportunity to dance with Sidney Parker yet.

The beat of the music became a little more intense, and Sidney pulled Charlotte closer to him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder before he took her other hand in his.

Charlotte knew that this was all part of the dance routine, but still she couldn't help feeling almost overwhelmed at their close proximity.

There had always been a sort of distance between the two of them; they rarely got close to one another; Sidney was never affectionate with her in the way that James was. So it was almost intoxicating now, to get to stand so close to him; to be in his personal space; to feel his hand in hers.

They took a few more steps in time to the music, and they managed a few more turns and spins. Charlotte barely had to think about where she was putting her hands, or placing her feet. She did not have to count in the steps, in the way that she had done while rehearsing for the ball in the staff room at work. She barely had to think at all; dancing with Sidney as a partner felt natural, effortless.

Charlotte was vaguely aware of the other couples around them; she could see Tom and Mary dancing close by, as well as Esther and Babington, who were gazing into each other's eyes, their lips only inches apart. She was also aware of the presence of Georgiana, who was leaning against a wall close to the dance floor and watching Sidney and Charlotte with a suspicious-looking frown on her face…but Charlotte found that the presence of all these other people around her was no longer holding her attention as much as it usually would.

The room also seemed to be a little out of focus, and Charlotte had a feeling that this was nothing to do with the fact that the lights were dimmed. The walls and the tables and the chairs and the chandeliers almost seemed to blend into one.

Then, as she looked right into Sidney's eyes, and Sidney pulled her in close again, Charlotte found that the outlines of all the people around them also started to look a little blurry.

Now, there was only one person in the room who was fully in focus.

The two of them swayed on the spot in time to the music, still dancing close to one another. It was very distracting, having Sidney look right into her eyes like that…but it was distracting in a good way, Charlotte realised.

Something unspoken seemed to pass between them as they stared at one another.

Charlotte knew that they had just missed out on a couple of turns; a couple of steps that formed the next part of the dance, but neither of them seemed to care.

Sidney smiled at her again, looking amused that they had missed out on yet another turn. It was like they were in their own little world now, with everything around them fading away.

This was a new sensation for Charlotte; for everything and everyone around her to seem completely out of focus; to feel like there was only one person in front of her who remained in sharp focus.

There was only Sidney, and the music, which seemed to be slowing down now...The song was coming to an end.

Sidney continued to hold her as the music began to fade. 

He looked right into her eyes, the expression on his face looking almost conflicted.

For some reason, Charlotte was reminded of the words that Crowe had said last night: _Half agony, half hope…_

"Charlotte," he said suddenly after a long silence, with an intensity to his voice that Charlotte had never heard before.

At Sidney's use of her first name, Charlotte felt like her skin was tingling from head to toe.

Sidney had _never_ called her by her first name before, and the fact that he had just said her name right now, in this moment…well, it was definitely having an effect on her.

No, wait, Charlotte thought to herself…it was _more_ than that…

Charlotte froze.

That voice. _That voice_ …

Charlotte knew that voice, because she had heard it in her dreams, so many times, night after night.

That voice. Saying her name.

Something about Sidney's voice had seemed so familiar, from the day Charlotte first met him, but perhaps she had just not connected the dots, until now, as he had not called her by her first name before, up until this very moment…

Charlotte managed to take her eyes away from Sidney for a few moments to take in her immediate surroundings as realisation slowly started to dawn on her…

She glanced upwards to see that they were dancing underneath a chandelier, _just like in her dream_ …

Then, she glanced around the room…

All around them, couples danced in a circle formation, their profiles still looking a little blurry , as Charlotte's entire focus had been taken up by the man she was dancing with.

In fact, when Charlotte thought about it, everything about this evening had seemed so familiar, from the colour of her ballgown, to the layout of the ballroom, right down to the mask that Sidney had been wearing…the mask that he had removed just before he began to dance with her. Now, her strange feelings of deja-vu were starting to make sense. Now, she could finally _see_ the masked man's face.

Charlotte's heart started to beat faster. Her hands were shaking. She had to blink rapidly to fight off the tears as all the missing pieces suddenly started to fit together.

It all felt so confusing, so shocking, like falling into a turbulent sea of emotions. It was so heartbreakingly beautiful.

Somehow, her dream had actually come true, in the most unexpected way, and perhaps at the most inconvenient of times.

The room still looked a little out of focus. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion…

Charlotte looked back at Sidney, who was still looking at her, the expression on his face still serious, intense.

That voice. In her dream. Saying her name.

It was _him_.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the delay in updating. ❤
> 
> I took a bit of a break from writing over the Christmas period, and then I was working on an update for my other fan-fiction story, and then, unfortunately, some of my family members were ill with Covid in January. Thankfully, they’re recovering now, but I haven’t been as focused on my writing with everything else going on. I wanted to post an update to show that I’m still working on Love and Austen. The story is past the halfway point now, and in spite of a few obstacles that are going to show up along the way, the HEA is getting ever closer. 
> 
> This chapter shows a little more drama and tension than the previous chapter, but I feel like it’s a necessary bridge to cross in order to get to a few important discoveries that will be made over the next couple of chapters.

Time seemed to stand still for a few more moments.

Charlotte continued to look into Sidney's eyes as he looked right back at her, the intense expression still on his face.

A few times, he looked like he was about to speak, to say something to add to that one word that he had just said to her, but a frown kept crossing his face, as though he could not find the words.

Charlotte considered that perhaps he had not been intending to say anything at all.

Charlotte was vaguely aware of the fact that the song that they had just been dancing to had come to an end, and a heavy silence seemed to hang in the air around them in the beat between one song ending and another one beginning.

The couples all around them who had been dancing together had now started to separate, bowing or inclining their heads as they slowly took a step back from one another. They all still looked a little blurry to Charlotte.

Still Charlotte and Sidney continued to stare at one another. Charlotte was all too aware of the fact that Sidney's hand was still on her waist. Did either of them _want_ to move apart from one another?

Charlotte might have still felt a little dazed, with her mind struggling to process everything that had just happened during that dance, and she was still in a state of shock that her recurring dream had somehow turned into reality, as though her subconscious mind had somehow been trying to let her know through her nightly dreams that such a profound moment in a ballroom had truly been about to take place in her real life, however impossible that idea might seem, but she also couldn't help feeling a little afraid...

She was scared to let this moment go; to take a step back into real life. Charlotte felt like she was still in her dream world-a world that she had never truly thought she would enter-and she did not want to leave it. Who knew what challenges and obstacles and barriers the two of them would face, as soon as they stepped back into reality? It had taken them so long to get here, and, once this moment was over, who was to say when or if they would get it back again?

The lights in the ballroom looked a little brighter now. Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte could see someone approaching the two of them, taking fast, bold strides.

But Charlotte was too distracted by Sidney, and the feeling of his hand on her waist, and the memory of the sound of his voice, saying her name, just like in her dreams, to think about anyone else just yet.

What was happening? What did all of this mean?

Sidney, however, already seemed to be all too aware of the fact that somebody in the room was walking towards the two of them. A tense expression crossed his face, and his hand on Charlotte's waist seemed to loosen a little as he took a small step back.

"Ah, Charlotte, Sidney!"

Charlotte was snapped a little further back into reality at the sound of a familiar voice, and she realised that it was Tom Parker who was approaching them.

Tom smiled at the two of them as he got closer, although Charlotte couldn't help noticing that his smile looked a little forced.

Charlotte tried her best to smile politely at Tom, she really did; she had always got on well with Tom, and he was always kind to her, but right now, at this particular moment, she resented his interruption; she couldn't help wishing that he'd just left the two of them alone.

Sidney however did not seem to be attempting to show the same sort of politeness. He looked visibly irritated by his brother's interruption, and he seemed to be struggling not to glare at him. His facial expression was definitely not as relaxed or as open at it had been during the dance. To Charlotte's regret, Sidney's smile now seemed to have vanished from his face. Who knew when it would return.

"Charlotte!" Tom repeated, his tone of voice relaxed, jovial; he was apparently oblivious to Sidney's less-than-friendly expression, or to the fact that he'd just interrupted something, whatever that 'something' might have been.

Charlotte was sure now that there was a little tension behind Tom's smile; he looked like someone who was trying to keep up an appearance of having a good time, even though there was something else on his mind.

"I've just realised that Mary and I haven't danced with you yet!" Tom continued, sounding almost like he considered it impolite on his part to have not danced with Charlotte yet, when he had no doubt already danced with most of his other employees. "And, well, I thought, with another group number just about to start…" He nodded in the direction of Mary, Arthur, Diana and a couple of other employees from the architecture company, who already seemed to have formed a group on the other side of the dance floor as they prepared for the upcoming dance.

Charlotte blinked rapidly a few times. She still felt a little out of it. She was struggling to keep up with what Tom was saying, and she was sure that she had already missed out on a word or two in his conversation.

Charlotte looked from Tom to Sidney, desperately trying to work out what Sidney was thinking; trying to work out whether they did in fact have unfinished business here.

"Tom…" Sidney suddenly muttered, his voice low. His tone and the stern expression on his face seemed to act as a warning; perhaps he was trying to discreetly tell his brother that now was not the time, that he and Charlotte were currently in the middle of something.

The smile faded from Tom's face, and he finally seemed to work out that Sidney was not impressed by the interruption.

Instead of making his excuses and walking away however, a frantic expression seemed to cross his face before he nodded pointedly in the direction of the main doors leading into the ballroom, and then he looked back at Sidney with a raised eyebrow.

Now coming out of her daze a little more, Charlotte looked in the direction of the main doors, trying to work out what was bothering Tom. Sidney also seemed to be following her gaze.

It didn't take long for Charlotte to understand the reason why Tom Parker looked so perplexed. Georgiana and Otis were standing in the doorway, facing one another and fully visible to the guests in the ballroom. Everything about their body language and the angry expressions on their faces suggested that they were arguing, and their raised voices made it even more obvious. With the music still at a fairly low volume as the next song began to play, their shouts could occasionally be heard, echoing around the room.

Already, a few people on the dance floor were starting to throw curious glances in their direction.

Charlotte looked back at Sidney. The irritation was clear in his facial expression, and his whole body seemed tense.

Briefly, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, as though trying to calm himself.

When he opened his eyes, Charlotte read something else in his facial expression; there was almost a look of resignation on his face. Charlotte started to suspect that this sort of thing had happened between Otis and Georgiana before, several times, at other events, in full view of other people, the Parkers included. Sidney just did not look surprised by their argument.

And Charlotte could just tell, from the way that Tom was looking pointedly at Sidney, that Tom was hoping and expecting that Sidney would be the one to go over there and deal with the argument; the burden was on Sidney to diffuse the situation and save Tom from any potential embarrassment in front of his work colleagues, and the company's potential investors. She had a feeling that Sidney had done this before during conflicts.

Charlotte sighed. She was certain that the timing of the argument couldn't have been any worse.

"Excuse me a moment," Sidney finally muttered after another tense silence.

Everything about his voice seemed so familiar now, after Charlotte had heard him saying her name, just like the man in her dreams. She could not believe that she not made the connection between Sidney's voice and the dream voice before, as it seemed so obvious now.

Sidney looked right at Charlotte, and his expression did look apologetic. Charlotte wondered if he really did feel regretful that the moment they had shared between them seemed to be well and truly over now, in light of new events.

And then, with a quick incline of his head in Charlotte and Tom's direction, Sidney was walking away from her and towards the main doors, where he moved to stand in between Georgiana and Otis.

Charlotte heard him shout, "Enough!" at the two of them as he tried to get them to keep their voices down.

Charlotte couldn't make out what else was said, but a few more stern words seemed to be exchanged, with Georgiana looking angry as she shouted back at Sidney, while Otis now looked a little sheepish.

It seemed that a few more words were exchanged before Sidney finally persuaded Georgiana and Otis to move away from the main doors and further into the entrance hallway. After that, the three of them disappeared from view.

And Charlotte was still standing as though in a trance in the middle of the dance floor.

In the end, she was left with no choice but to accept Tom's invitation to join the group dance.

* * *

Charlotte had no idea how she got through the next dance.

Mary, Tom, Arthur and Diana seemed to dance in circles around her, all of them with somewhat enthusiastic looking expressions on their faces, but Charlotte wasn't sure if her facial expression suggested the same enthusiasm.

She felt too confused, too shocked, too lost in her recent moment with Sidney Parker to really feel enthusiastic about this dance, or to attempt to join in with all the goings-on around her.

Every now and again, she glanced in the direction of the doorway, but Sidney, Otis and Georgiana were still out of sight, as Sidney had no doubt encouraged them to head to somewhere more private to try to resolve their argument, and they did not return to the ballroom.

Now that the previous dance had come to an end, and the bright lights in the ballroom seemed to be shining a light on reality, and Sidney had left the room to deal with what seemed like all-too-real relationship drama, Charlotte couldn't help feeling like her dreamworld had all but vanished; and, thanks to a bit of bad timing with Otis and Georgiana, Charlotte wasn't sure if or when she would get it back…

The music continued to play, and Charlotte pretended to focus on the dance again.

The Parkers seemed to have strategically placed themselves among several of their colleagues and potential investors on the dance floor, and these work colleagues often moved closer to dance with them as part of the routine, while Diana mainly seemed to be distracted by fussing over Arthur, and insisting that he was over-exerting himself on the dance floor, which meant that the Parkers were not really focusing on Charlotte. Only Mary seemed to throw concerned-looking glances in Charlotte's direction every now and again, as though she could sense that something was wrong.

The music kept playing, and people kept moving around her.

Briefly, Charlotte joined hands with Tom, the two of them moving in a circle as part of the dance.

"Sidney seems happier this evening!" Tom told her as they span around. "Well, putting aside recent events with Georgiana and Otis, of course…"

"He does," Charlotte agreed, finally finding her voice again. Then, her curiosity taking over her, even though she could hardly dare to hope, she couldn't help asking: "What do you think the reason is? For his happiness, I mean."

"Well, I couldn't say for sure," said Tom, looking like he was really thinking about it, "but I suspect it might have something to do with Eliza…"

On hearing that name, Charlotte felt her whole body tense. _Eliza_. Sidney's ex-girlfriend, Eliza.

"R-really?" Charlotte asked him, already feeling like her heart was sinking.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Tom answered, his tone of voice casual, as he was apparently oblivious to Charlotte's anguish. "I've heard that they've been back in contact recently-a few phone calls, a few emails and voicemails…and there are rumours that Eliza might be heading back to London for a little while, for work purposes, soon. Perhaps some of their past hurt has eased a little now that they're back in contact...well, one can only hope! I'm sure Sidney's missed her, in spite of some of the not-so-pleasant history between them…"

It took all of Charlotte's efforts to try to look casual, disinterested, when the reality was that she could practically feel a sense of dread running through her whole body.

Had this been about Eliza all along? Was that the reason why Sidney had looked so happy tonight? The reason why he had been a bit more relaxed and open over the past week or so? Because _Eliza_ was coming back into his life, and the two of them had started to make amends?

Had Tom not mentioned something about this in the staff room only recently? Rumours about the possibility of Eliza's return? At the time, Charlotte had not been paying too much attention, because Tom had suggested that this possibility had been a cause of tension for Sidney, but now he seemed to be implying that Sidney had had some sort of change of heart.

Only minutes ago, Charlotte had been so caught up in the moment, mesmerised by the fact that Sidney's voice had exactly matched the voice of the mysterious man in her dreams. It had been the most magical dance of Charlotte's life…but…had Charlotte been naïve to think that there was any more to it than some sort of hopeless dream or fantasy? Had Sidney been thinking about Eliza the whole time they had been dancing together?

Had Charlotte been wrong, in allowing herself to believe Sidney's words about only wanting to dance with her tonight? Had she been a little foolish, in believing that his smiles and his happy expressions during this weekend in Bath had in some way been for her?

Why did she care so much, all of a sudden? Why was the thought of Sidney getting back with Eliza so unbearable?

Georgiana's question from a few weeks ago came back into her mind, taunting her: _"You're not attracted to him, are you?_

The dance was coming to an end. The ballroom was too warm, and it was starting to look too bright, and Charlotte felt a strange sort of tightness in her chest.

She had to get out of this room for a little while…

A few of the male employees from the architecture company who had been dancing nearby seemed to look hopefully in Charlotte's direction, perhaps hoping that she would dance with them, but Charlotte quickly mumbled something about wanting to go and see where James Stringer had got to, before she started to take rapid steps away from the dance floor, away from the crowd, quickly breaking into a run as she approached the main doors. She felt a bit guilty at the idea that she was not in fact running away to find James Stringer, and that she'd simply said it as an excuse.

There was no sign of Sidney, Georgiana or Otis now in the hallway that led to the ballroom. Charlotte didn't hang around for too long to think about their absence; she wasn't looking for the three of them right now, not really. Instead, she kept on running through the entrance hallway and then through another corridor, following the signposts and the arrows that pointed the way to the garden. She really needed to get some fresh air.

* * *

In order to get to the garden, Charlotte had to go through a large room called the Great Octagon, and then the Card Room, a smaller room that adjoined the Great Octagon.

The Great Octagon was a very beautiful room, literally octagonal in shape, with sunny yellow walls and crystal chandeliers and marble fireplaces, but Charlotte could barely focus on the room's beauty as she ran through it on her way to the Card Room.

The Card Room was also rather pretty in its own way, with its dark green walls and large, old-fashioned paintings on the walls, along with a smaller chandelier that hung from the ceiling, but again Charlotte barely had the time to appreciate it, and she still felt very unfocused, and a little out of breath.

She took fast steps towards the back of the room, walking past Crowe on the way, who was seated at one of the several dark wooden tables, where he was surrounded by a group of attractive women, and playing some sort of card game as he drank from his silver flask. With the drink flowing at his table, Crowe did not seem to notice Charlotte hurrying past him.

A group of very well-dressed women were also sitting at a table in the corner of the room, playing cards and drinking champagne. They barely glanced at Charlotte as she passed.

Finally, Charlotte located the doors that led to the garden.

* * *

The moment she pushed open the double doors leading out to the building's small garden and stepped outside, Charlotte took in grateful gulps of cold air.

It was something of a shock, to feel this cold air on her skin after what seemed like hours of being indoors, in a ballroom that was a little too warm, but she also felt like this was exactly what she needed right now; the stuffy air in the ballroom had served to muddle up her thoughts, and she hoped that the cool night air would help to clear the fog in her mind a little.

For a few moments, Charlotte could barely focus on her surroundings. Her breaths came in rapid gasps, with her body perhaps reacting to the shock of everything that had seemed to reveal itself to her during her dance with Sidney, and then the shock of the two of them being separated in the immediate aftermath of the dance, before Charlotte could even begin to work out whether Sidney had actually felt as though some sort of profound, intense moment had passed between the two of them, in the way that Charlotte had felt it, or whether he had simply viewed it as yet another dance.

A couple of minutes later, Charlotte was finally able to focus a little better. As her breathing started to return to something like normal, she took a few steps further into the garden, trying to get a good look around it, even though the sky above her was already a dark shade of blue, and the only light seemed to be coming from several stars that were visible in the night sky.

From what Charlotte could see, this outside area was quite pretty, with a few small hedges surrounding it, and expensive-looking furniture placed in the middle of the garden. Several couples were seated at the outdoor tables, while a few other couples strolled around the perimeter of the garden, with their presence adding to the general relaxing atmosphere. In the distance, Charlotte could see Esther and Babington, walking next to each other and holding hands. As they walked, they leaned in close to one another and talked in low voices, as though sharing a private conversation. Charlotte looked away from them, giving them a little privacy and focusing her attention on the chairs and the tables and the hedges instead.

Yet the beauty of Charlotte's surroundings did very little to calm her anxiety.

Out here, in the cold night air, all of Charlotte's insecurities seemed to be in much sharper focus; they were insecurities that she hadn't really even been aware she had, as she had always been quite confident in herself, but now, all of her doubts and her uncertainties seemed to be washing over her like icy water…

Had Sidney really had only looked so much more relaxed this evening because he already knew that Eliza was about to come back into his life? Had all of his recent smiles and his deep and meaningful expressions really been for Eliza?

Had Charlotte read into things incorrectly, during their dance? Had Sidney simply been playing a part, getting into character, in the way that he might have been doing all evening? Had he just been lost in the moment, in the atmosphere, in the sense of feeling like he was in a scene from one of his favourite novels, and Charlotte had simply misinterpreted everything, believing that all of his looks during the dance had been for her?

And yet...

_That voice. Saying her name…_

The way he had said it, it really had sounded so perfect, so meaningful, so real…

But still, Charlotte could not shake off all of her new insecurities.

Had Sidney just been trying out the use of her first name, perhaps deciding that constantly addressing her as 'Miss Heywood' was a little too formal, a little too distant, now that they were getting to know each other better and they were on more friendly terms than they had been a couple of weeks ago?

Or worse, had Sidney been about to say something to let her down gently after he'd said her name, to remind Charlotte that she should not confuse one moment during a dance at a Jane Austen ball while dressed in costume with day-to-day reality? Was that what he had been about to say, as the dance came to an end?

Had Charlotte allowed her dream to blind her to the reality of what was really going on around her?

Another idea was trying to push itself to the forefront of Charlotte's mind, even though she did not really want to face up to it yet...

Why did she _care_ so much, about Sidney's opinion of her? her inner voice kept asking, more insistent this time. Why did it all suddenly matter so much? What had changed? She had never sought out his good opinion, had she? Had she not refused his invitation to attend the ball together in the first place? Had she not spent the past few weeks arguing and disagreeing with Sidney, right from when she had arrived in London? And she was here with _James Stringer_ , after all. She had _accepted_ his invitation to the ball, when he'd asked her.

And yet…

All of Charlotte's troubled thoughts seemed to tumble over each other in her mind as she paced up and down; all of her theories were confusing her, threatening to overwhelm her…

"Charlotte?"

On hearing her name, Charlotte paused in her aimless wandering around the garden. It was a woman's voice, and it sounded very familiar…

Charlotte started to turn around, in the direction that the voice had just come from.

She turned in a half-circle, trying to see in the dark, and suddenly, she was face to face with none other than Susan, who happened to be sitting on a garden chair only a few feet away from her. Charlotte must have run right past her when she'd first burst through the garden doors in her frantic state.

On seeing Susan, Charlotte felt some of the tension in her body ease a little. So, Tom had been right in his speculation; Susan _was_ here at the ball tonight, after all.

As Charlotte blinked rapidly several times, half convinced that she was only imagining Susan to be there due to a combination of poor lighting and Charlotte's mind perhaps playing tricks on her in her confused state, Susan smiled at her, looking genuinely happy to encounter her out here in the garden. Her expression was gentle, open, and it served to relax Charlotte a little more. She was flattered that Susan recognised her; that she seemed to remember Charlotte from Sidney's party, as Susan seemed like the sort of person who was constantly encountering new people. Charlotte wondered if the well-dressed women in the Card Room were friends of hers; perhaps she had just stepped outside for a moment to get some fresh air.

Susan looked very glamourous, dressed in a light blue Regency era ballgown, accessorized with a shawl over her shoulders. She was also wearing a lot of silver jewellery, and expensive-looking gloves that looked like they were made of silk.

Charlotte noticed that Susan's dress was decorated with floral patterns, as though she had insisted on adding her own personal, unique touch to her outfit this evening.

The skirt of Susan's dress flowed very elegantly down towards the ground, with the material occasionally wrapping gently around the leg of the chair that Susan was sitting on when it caught in the night's breeze. To Charlotte, Susan always managed to look like very regal; like a queen sitting on a throne, almost; a queen who was always on the point of offering insightful words about her kingdom.

"Susan," said Charlotte by way of greeting, finally managing to smile as she took a step closer to her.

It appeared however that Susan was not fooled by her smile: "Charlotte, are you all right?" she asked her after regarding her for a few moments with a concerned-looking expression. "You seem a little…befuddled…"

"I'm…I'm fine," Charlotte responded instantly. She felt embarrassed, on realising that her state of distress must have looked so obvious.,

Her response was simply an automatic one however, and it did not sound convincing, even to her own ears.

Susan also did not seem convinced. "Are you sure?" she asked Charlotte with a raised eyebrow and another gentle smile.

Charlotte blushed a little. It was as though Susan could see right through her. She wondered how much Susan had already seen; how much she had deciphered from watching at a distance when Charlotte had first stumbled into the garden. No doubt she had seen her breathing heavily and taking frantic steps in her panicked state as she tried to regain her composure.

"Yes, well…no, maybe," Charlotte started to babble, feeling like it was very difficult to lie to Susan. "Maybe not," Charlotte finally admitted with an apologetic sort of sigh. "I feel very confused about well…everything at the moment…"

Susan's expression was sympathetic now. "Perhaps it would help you to organise some of your thoughts if you were to share them. A problem shared is a problem halved, as they say," she added with an amused-looking smile, like she was making an effort to lighten the mood and spare Charlotte any further distress.

Charlotte regarded Susan for a few moments, trying to work out how much she should say. Susan did seem genuinely interested to hear about what was troubling her, but Charlotte wasn't sure if Susan was really intending to offer her any sort of advice, or if she was simply interested in hearing any potential gossip about something that might have happened at the ball.

In the end, Charlotte decided that there was no real harm in confiding in Susan, and that she might as well just try to share some of her thoughts with her. After all, Charlotte decided, it was better to have _somebody_ to confide in than nobody. Perhaps some sort of advice would be better than nothing at all.

"Well," said Charlotte, after she'd taken a quick look around the garden to check that Babington and Esther were out of earshot (she did not want any of this conversation to be repeated to Sidney). She paused for a moment, wondering where she should even begin. "It all started when I agreed to attend tonight's ball with James Stringer. I said that we should go as friends, but now I think he hopes that we will become more than friends. And…Sidney Parker also asked me to the ball, too, but I wasn't sure if he was _really_ asking me, or whether he simply asked me out of pity, or as part of some sort of cruel joke-he implied that he only viewed me as a source of amusement, you see-and he can often seem so cold, and so distant. And I refused him…"

Charlotte paused for a moment, aware that she was talking very fast. She chanced a glance at Susan, who was watching her with a rather confused-looking frown.

"No," Charlotte amended as she shook her head, "it must have started before that. Perhaps it started at the Starbucks just down the road from work, or as a result of a chance encounter by my locker on my first day…or maybe it started on a train to London, after I'd accepted the job offer at Tom's architecture company, and I was travelling to the city, and I was having the dream again…"

Charlotte resumed her pacing as she spoke. She knew that she was babbling, but she felt like she had to get everything out. It was as though she were simply giving voice to the jumbled-up thoughts in her head, thoughts and recollections that probably didn't even make any sense to Susan, but there was something almost calming about sharing them with someone.

"Or perhaps it started long before that, even," Charlotte admitted as she took a few more steps. "Perhaps it began when I became a fan of Jane Austen, and I started to write a Jane Austen themed blog, and _LostinPemberley_ started to leave comments on my posts, and I started to have the dream, night after night…"

Susan still looked confused, and she opened her mouth as though to ask Charlotte something about 'the dream', but then she seemed to think better of it. Instead, she gently waved her hand, indicating that Charlotte should continue.

"Anyway," said Charlotte, "however it started, I ended up here, in Bath, at a Jane Austen ball, with James Stringer as my official dance partner. And James is kind, and generous…he has all the qualities of a good boyfriend…"

"And yet?" Susan prompted her with a sad sort of smile, as though she could read something between the lines of what Charlotte was saying.

"Well," Charlotte sighed, "Sidney Parker just looked so handsome tonight; like a perfect Austen hero, and he looked even more handsome every time he smiled. He always looks handsome, although I try not to think about that too much, when I'm in London. And I often…enjoy my discussions with him, especially when we are talking about Jane Austen novels. And there's just something about him that…draws me to him, even though he infuriates me sometimes," Charlotte admitted with a blush. "And tonight, I kept getting distracted by Sidney, even when I was dancing with James, and then _he_ asked _me_ to dance with him…"

Charlotte was sure that a look of despair crossed her face as she recalled their dance, and how it had ended far too quickly.

Susan must have picked up on the expression on Charlotte's face, because she raised an eyebrow and asked her, "Was the dance so terrible?"

"Oh, no," Charlotte rushed to answer her. "It was perfect…in fact, it was literally a dream come true. It felt like my whole life had been leading up to that moment. It was just surprising, that that moment happened with Sidney Parker. Time seemed to stand still, and everyone around us faded into the background. It felt like we were _meant_ to share that dance; like it was fate, almost, if there is such a thing as fate. And he said my name- _Charlotte_ ," she added, in what she hoped was a decent imitation of Sidney Parker's voice, "and something about the way he said it had some sort of effect on me; it was like nobody had ever said my name like that before. But then we were interrupted, and I'm not sure if he had anything else to say, or if he'd just said my name in a casual, friendly manner. And, Susan," Charlotte sighed, feeling more than a little miserable now, "I'm not sure what I even wanted him to say, and I don't know why I care so much, when I've been telling myself for weeks that I dislike him…"

Charlotte finally went quiet and stopped her pacing. She couldn't help feeling embarrassed. Susan was so elegant, so poised, and Charlotte had no idea what she would think about a young woman who was clearly babbling and pacing frantically up and down and saying what must sound like utter nonsense to someone who was almost a stranger.

Susan seemed to regard her for several long moments. Finally, she spoke…

"Might I suggest, Charlotte," she said, her tone gentle, "that you are in love with him?"

"What? No!" said Charlotte in a hurry, instantly on the defensive. "I…I c-can't be in love with him-" The mere possibility of it absolutely terrified her.

"And why not?" Susan demanded gently with another raised eyebrow. She seemed rather surprised at Charlotte's rush to deny it.

"We're so…different," Charlotte protested, somehow feeling more like she was trying to convince herself than she was trying to convince Susan. "And we argue so much, and he always goes out of his way to disagree with me, and there are times when I think he is completely indifferent to me, and, sometimes, I'm sure that he even dislikes me. How can I fall for him, when I'm not certain of his feelings for me?"

As Charlotte posed this question, she realised that the lack of clarity on how Sidney felt about her really bothered her. She thought about all of his sneers and his sighs and his eye-rolls at times when he'd encountered her. Of course, there were times when he'd shown her more kindness, more interest, and Charlotte suspected that some of his less-than-pleasant behaviour towards her was perhaps there as a result of him being hurt by women in the past, and Sidney's friends had definitely implied recently that Sidney's feelings for her were more than platonic, but Sidney himself had never really given her any indication that he held any romantic feelings for her. It scared Charlotte, to think that she might be falling for someone who did not love her in return.

"Charlotte," said Susan with a smile, "we cannot help who we fall in love with! It's something that happens to us, often when we least expect it! Nobody ever plans or prepares for it; we cannot control it! It's oh so terrifying, but oh so wonderful, too, don't you think?"

Charlotte's heart was beating fast now, and she could feel the adrenaline running through her body.

She had always felt so in control of her life before, even during those chaotic times in the past when her father had been overwhelmed by debt, and the hotel she'd worked at had been forced to close; but now, she could feel that control slipping, along with the invisible mask of her own that she hadn't even realised she'd been wearing, and this scared her all the more.

She was suddenly hit by yet another realisation…this was the reason why she had never allowed herself to truly fall for someone before; the reason why she had always played it safe with men; the reason why she had only ever really gone on dates and flirted with men who she'd had no real chance of falling deeply in love with; she'd been trying to avoid a situation like this all along, without even realising it; a situation where she was vulnerable and at risk of getting hurt.

Charlotte always wanted people to like her, and she feared rejection, even though she would perhaps never admit this out loud. Everyone around her believed that she was an open book, and it was true that she often willingly shared her thoughts and opinions; but…perhaps she had always guarded her heart, in her own way, for fear of having it broken.

Susan seemed to be reading her thoughts right now: "Is it not better to take a risk, rather than always being safe, and never truly falling?" she asked Charlotte.

Charlotte felt like she couldn't give a response to what Susan was saying right now. She agreed, of course, but she was also aware of the implications if she said so out loud and attempted to act on Susan's words. Susan's ideas were romantic ones; they seemed to be taken straight out of a story book. But could these romantic ideas stand up to reality?

"Besides," said Charlotte, desperately trying to pull herself together and be a little more logical now, "there is still a lot I don't know about Sidney Parker, and until I know the full story about certain aspects of his…history, I feel like I can't get too close to him…"

"His history?" Susan asked, looking a little intrigued now, as though Charlotte knew some interesting gossip about Sidney that she wished to share in.

Charlotte was about to deflect a little, to say something about her uncertainty about the state of Sidney's architecture business, and uncertainty over what would happen if the company really was in serious debt; or what would happen if Charlotte's job was not made permanent and she was forced to return to Willingden…because either way, she was sure that they could be separated somehow; but she realised that right now, the work situation was not one of the main factors that was preventing her from facing up to her feelings for Sidney…

"His history with his ex-girlfriend, and my worries that he might still have feelings for her," Charlotte explained in barely more than a whisper. "And the full story about his apparent involvement in separating Otis and Georgiana," she added.

She wasn't sure if Susan would understand what she was saying, or even be aware of either of these situations, but it was a relief to put these thoughts into words as well. She really felt like these were the two main barriers in the way of her being able to establish a true connection with Sidney, apart from her doubts as to how he felt about her, and she felt like these were two important aspects of Sidney's life that she really wanted to understand better, in order to try to understand _him_.

As Charlotte finished speaking however, an almost knowing look seemed to cross Susan's face. It was a look that made Charlotte start to suspect for the first time that Susan knew Sidney a little better than Charlotte had first thought.

Susan opened her mouth as though to say something else, but she was cut off when the double doors were pushed open, and James Stringer stepped out into the garden, with a rather frantic expression on his face.

"Charlotte, are you all right?" James asked her, after he'd glanced around the garden for a few moments and then caught sight of her.

"I'm fine," Charlotte told him, still feeling a little befuddled after her conversation with Susan, but desperately trying to act as though everything were okay. "I just needed a little fresh air, that's all." She tried to smile and give a casual-looking shrug.

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" said James as he started to walk towards her. He really did sound like he'd been worried about her. "I'm so sorry!" he continued, his tone of voice sounding genuinely apologetic. "I know I promised that I'd dance all the dances with you tonight, but with the Beaufort sisters asking me to dance, and then with all the drama with Georgiana and Otis, I know I haven't spent as much time with you as I would've liked-"

"James, it's all right," Charlotte told him, trying to sound reassuring. It wasn't really James's fault, after all, that they'd been separated for half of the evening. She couldn't help feeling a little guilty, especially when James sounded so sorry, like it was entirely on him that they had missed out on dancing the past few dances together. She wondered what he'd think, if he found out about her dance with Sidney Parker. Or worse, if he knew what she'd just been talking about with Susan.

"We can dance some more dances now, if you like," James offered. "If you're ready to head back into the ballroom?"

Charlotte felt it might sound a bit strange, if she tried to say that she would prefer to stay outside in the cold to talk to Susan for a little while longer about Sidney Parker, especially as she had been so looking forward to dancing at the ball, and James had even agreed to attend dance lessons with her in the staff room in preparation for this evening, and so she felt like she didn't have much choice but to agree to go back inside with James Stringer.

She smiled apologetically at Susan as she started to head back inside, and Susan smiled sympathetically at her in return.

"I'm sure our paths will cross again," Susan whispered to Charlotte as she passed.

* * *

Charlotte and James ended up walking back through a couple of the building's corridors, walking more or less in the direction of the ballroom.

As they walked, James asked Charlotte several more times if she was okay, and Charlotte tried her best to smile as she insisted all over again that she was fine, before James started to apologise again about not spending much time with her this evening. He told Charlotte that after Otis had asked to speak with him, he had then become distracted by Georgiana and Otis's argument, and then he'd been distracted all over again by a few of his work colleagues who'd wanted to talk to him as he'd tried to head back into the ballroom to find Charlotte.

Charlotte did her best to put all of her attention on what James was saying, as an attempt to _not_ focus on all of her thoughts about her dance with Sidney, and the conversation that she had just had with Susan.

One of Susan's questions in particular seemed to be playing over and over in her mind…

" _Might I suggest, Charlotte, that you are in love with him?"_

Charlotte shook her head, as though the action could shake off this idea. She could not allow herself to be in love with Sidney Parker if he did not feel the same way about her. She was sure that Susan would tell her that love didn't quite work like that, but still, Charlotte's refusal to admit that she could possibly be in love was the only thing that was keeping her calm and grounded right now.

In spite of her best efforts to focus on James and calm her troubled thoughts, Charlotte was suddenly distracted by the sound of Georgiana and Sidney's voices, coming from somewhere a little further down the corridor, or perhaps from just around the corner.

On hearing their voices, Charlotte felt her whole body tense up. It was clear that the two of them were arguing…

"You had no right to intervene in my…discussion with Otis!" Charlotte heard Georgiana snap at Sidney. "It was a personal matter between the two of us!"

"We both know that you were making a scene, Georgiana," Charlotte heard Sidney reply to her, sounding like he was on the verge of losing his patience. "You know as I well as I do that this event is about attracting potential company investors, and we can't afford any more public spectacles, or any more damage to the company's reputation…"

James Stringer looked mildly interested in Georgiana and Sidney's 'discussion', but all that Charlotte wanted was to get away from this argument. Her thoughts about Sidney Parker were so confusing and so muddled up right now, especially after Susan's suggestion that she was in love with him, and the last thing she wanted was to encounter Sidney in the corridor right now, with James right beside her. Not to mention that she _really_ didn't want to get involved in any relationship drama between Otis and Georgian; not now, not tonight, at a Jane Austen ball.

And so Charlotte made a point of telling James that she really wanted to see inside the Tea Room nearby, and she pushed open the door which led into the room. As James followed her inside, Charlotte could still hear Sidney and Georgiana bickering in the distance. Quickly, Charlotte closed the door behind her.

The Tea Room was equally elegant to the other rooms in the building. It was quite a large room, with a high ceiling and a balcony and cream-coloured walls.

Charlotte took a few photos of the fireplaces and the crystal chandeliers in the room, trying to talk enthusiastically about how she was going to send the photos to her sister. She then posed for a few photos with James, hoping that all of this would be enough of a distraction from what was going on somewhere close by, outside in the corridor.

Charlotte and James talked about Alison for a little while as they strolled around the room, occasionally stopping to talk to a few of their work colleagues who had also drifted into the room from the ballroom.

After enough time had passed for Charlotte to be reasonably certain that Georgiana and Sidney had moved on to another part of the building, or perhaps back into the ballroom, Charlotte suggested to James that they should maybe head back into the ballroom now, too, and James nodded in agreement.

They left the Tea Room and headed back out into the corridor, resuming their walk towards the ballroom.

Charlotte's heartrate might not have fully returned to normal just yet, but her time spent in the Tea Room had at least served to calm her nerves a little.

She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, telling herself that she would soon be back in the ballroom, surrounded by her friends and dancing to Regency era music again. Perhaps she would attempt to talk to Sidney a bit later on, when things had calmed down a little.

It didn't take long however, before Charlotte's new-found sense of calmness was thrown completely out of the window.

"Did you _really_ think that it was a good idea, to attend a work party with Otis Molyneux, after everything that has transpired between the two of you?"

Charlotte felt her heartrate pick up again at the sound of Sidney Parker's voice. It seemed that he had not gone far after all, and his argument with Georgiana was still very much in progress. It was almost as though time had stopped while Charlotte and James had been inside the Tea Room, and it had resumed the moment they stepped back out into the corridor.

"What did you hope to achieve from all of this?" Sidney continued to snap at Georgiana, sounding like he was no longer troubling to keep the anger out of his voice. "You knew how Tom and Mary would feel about it, after what they witnessed last time…"

Charlotte couldn't help feeling curious to know what actually had transpired between Otis and Georgiana in the past, and the reasons why the Parker family seemed to hold such negative opinions about the relationship. Was it really all about money and social status, in the way that Otis had implied it was?

"They have shown you nothing but kindness, and this is how you repay them?" Sidney demanded of Georgiana.

Sidney's sharp words to Georgiana served as a reminder to Charlotte that now was not the time to be getting lost in thoughts and speculations about Georgiana and Otis's past. She could hear the sound of their footsteps now. She felt certain that Sidney and Georgiana were walking towards them, and it would only be moments before they came into view.

Charlotte did not want her first encounter with Sidney after their dance to be in these not-so-pleasant circumstances. She would prefer to wait for a little while, to let Sidney and Georgiana finish their argument and then to encounter Sidney later, in the ballroom, where they could hopefully have a more substantial conversation.

Using a few silent gestures, Charlotte encouraged James to turn in the opposite direction, to head back the way they came and take the long way around back to the ballroom. She was starting to feel like she was walking in circles.

For a few seconds, it seemed like Charlotte had managed to put some distance between herself and the argument. She walked through another corridor with James, taking another route back towards the ballroom.

They were just getting close to the ballroom door when…

"You think you're being so noble, protecting me Otis's 'bad influence'!" Charlotte heard Georgiana shout at Sidney. Her tone was sarcastic, and she sounded furious.

Charlotte felt her heart sink. It seemed like Georgiana and Sidney had also taken another route back towards the ballroom, and they'd ended up in the same part of the building as Charlotte and James all over again.

Georgiana continued to shout at Sidney, and Charlotte could hear every word…

"You pretend that this is all about me, and my issues with Otis, when really, this is all about you, and how the company is in serious trouble, and you and your brothers are in complete denial about it! And this is about how you are not over what Eliza did, and so you have no faith in anybody else's relationship…"

As Georgiana mentioned Eliza, the two of them rounded the corner, so that they were fully visible to Charlotte and James.

Charlotte's heart started to beat faster all over again, and she felt a fresh wave of nerves on seeing them. Of course, the four of them would all end up in the same corridor, even though Charlotte had made a great effort to avoid this happening. And Sidney and Georgiana were still arguing; arguing about something that was very private and personal, and neither of them seemed to be aware yet that Charlotte and James were right here, standing not too far from them, looking right at them and hearing everything that they were saying.

The two of them were taking rapid steps, which was bringing them ever closer, even though they were still oblivious to the fact that they were not alone in the hallway.

"And, of course," Georgiana continued to shout, while Sidney glared at her, "this is all about how _you_ are in love with Charlotte, and you can't admit it!"

It was at this point that Georgiana and Sidney finally realised that they were not alone in the hallway. As though in slow motion, the two of them stopped walking and turned to look right at Charlotte and James. Georgiana actually let out a gasp, her hand quickly coming up to cover her mouth, as though the gesture could take back what she had just said, and then her eyes widened in obvious horror.

However, Sidney's face was unreadable for a few moments. It was as though the mask had somehow reappeared on his face at some point over the past half an hour. It was only the slight widening of his eyes that gave away any sort of shock or discomfort.

Charlotte felt like she had frozen to the spot on hearing those words. She couldn't move; she didn't know what to say, what to think. She could only look frantically from Sidney to Georgiana, trying to work out why Georgiana had just said something like that _that_ during her argument with Sidney.

For her part, Georgiana did look a little ashamed, a little guilty about what she had just said. It was clear from the look on her face that she had not expected to encounter Charlotte and James in the corridor; that she had not planned on anyone but Sidney hearing those words. She kept looking at the floor, as though she could not face looking at Charlotte or Sidney right now.

Sidney's expression now seemed to be a mixture of shock and irritation. He had not expected to encounter Charlotte out here in the hallway with James, either; Charlotte could guess that much.

As to everything else he might be feeling in this moment, Charlotte really had no idea. He did look a little annoyed, but did Sidney look so irritated because Georgiana's words had in fact been far from the truth, said just to get a reaction out of him, or-even more terrifyingly-because they had been somewhere _close_ to the truth? Charlotte had no idea.

Charlotte was all too aware of James Stringer, who was standing right next to her. James, who had no doubt heard every word that Georgiana had said, too. She sensed that James was looking at her, trying to gauge her reaction, but Charlotte was not yet brave enough to look him in the eye.

Time seemed to be standing still again.

Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.

A heavy, tense sort of silence seemed to pass between the four of them as the weight of Georgiana's words pressed down on them.


	11. Chapter 11

It was quite possibly the most awkward moment of Charlotte's life.

The silence continued, pressing down on all four of them. They all seemed to be looking away from one another now, as though nobody wanted to be the first one to speak and follow Georgiana's words, which only made things seem worse.

_Say something!_ a voice in Charlotte's head screamed at her. _Do…something, anything!_

But she did not know what to say, what to do; she was in such a state of shock that she barely knew what to think.

How was she supposed to respond to everything that Georgiana had just said? She was truly lost for words.

She wasn't even sure if she _wanted_ anyone else to speak first, or if she was afraid of what might be said.

Still not brave enough to look at Sidney or at James again, Charlotte looked at Georgiana. She still looked apologetic. It was the first time since she had met her that Charlotte had seen Georgiana look genuinely remorseful for her actions. She kept looking at the floor, like she was ashamed of all that she had revealed in front of Charlotte and James.

She then looked almost tearful as she began to speak: "Charlotte, I-" she began, but she was cut off by the sound of the ballroom door bursting open.

Charlotte jumped at the sudden noise as her eyes darted to the ballroom door.

A few feet away from them, Arthur Parker stumbled over the door's threshold, with Diana right behind him.

Charlotte chanced a quick glance at Sidney, who was rolling his eyes at Arthur's sudden arrival. Charlotte could read nothing but irritation in his facial expression. She still had no idea how he felt about everything that Georgiana had said, which only made this awkward situation seem worse, somehow.

Perhaps Arthur had the worst possible timing with his interruption, but Charlotte wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed by the distraction from the uncomfortable moment in the hallway.

"Ah, Georgiana!" Arthur exclaimed. His cheeks looked a little flushed from all the dancing, and he was grinning from ear to ear, apparently oblivious to the fact that he and his sister had just walked right into the middle of an awkward moment. "I've just realised," Arthur continued, sounding a little breathless, "that you and I haven't danced together yet!" He said this as though it were a great tragedy that this dance between them had not yet taken place, even though Georgiana did not look as though she really cared either way.

Georgiana didn't seem to know what to say. It looked like she was torn between her reluctance to dance with Arthur, and her desire to get away from Sidney, and Charlotte and James.

Before she could reach a decision, Sidney answered for her: "She would be delighted, Arthur," he told his brother. His tone sounded a little unnatural, like he was going out of his way to pretend that everything was fine, and that nothing at all had just happened.

With a sigh, Georgiana started to follow Arthur back into the ballroom.

Finally, Charlotte looked over quickly in James Stringer's direction. Although he looked confused by everything that he had just heard, he also seemed to throw a few glares in Sidney's direction; he definitely looked annoyed with him, which only made Charlotte feel even more uncomfortable.

"And Sidney!" Diana said, cutting into the silence again. "You and I have not danced together tonight, even though you've already danced with Mary and Georgiana! Won't you dance with me now?" She sounded almost like a petulant child as she asked her brother to dance.

Sidney seemed hesitant for a moment, and Charlotte suspected that the last thing he wanted to do was to head back into the ballroom and onto the dance floor to join in with the dancing, where he would have to pretend that he was having a good time, but he also didn't seem particularly keen on staying out in the hallway with Charlotte and James, either.

"Fine," said Sidney with a sigh as he accepted Diana's request. And, after only a quick glance in Charlotte's direction, he started to follow Diana back into the ballroom, looking like he couldn't get away fast enough.

Charlotte and James were left alone in the hallway, and Charlotte was left feeling rather disheartened.

Charlotte turned to look at James, who was already looking at her. He looked a little hurt by everything that had happened, and Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

"What is it, between you and him?" James asked her after a few tense moments of silence, his tone questioning, serious.

"James," said Charlotte very quickly, starting to feel a little tearful, for some reason, "there is nothing going on between Sidney and I."

Well, it was true, wasn't it? Apart from a few joking implications from Sidney's friends, and a few accusatory words from Georgiana, Sidney himself had not said or done anything to truly imply that he had romantic feelings for her. Charlotte wasn't even sure if he'd ever acknowledged any sort of friendship between the two of them, let alone _love_.

"I don't know why Georgiana said all those things just then," Charlotte continued. It was true, in a way; she had no idea what had provoked Georgiana to say all the things she had said; perhaps she'd just been trying to get back at Sidney for his disapproval of Otis, and perhaps she'd exaggerated his feelings for her. "But I really don't want to talk about any of it now," she insisted. "That was all very embarrassing, for all of us, and none of it should have been said here, and I don't want an argument between Sidney and Georgiana to ruin my memories of the ball tonight. Can we please just forget about it all for now?"

Charlotte knew that she would probably never forget what had been said, but she wondered if she could at least pretend not to think about it for a little while.

James seemed to understand that this wasn't the right time or place to discuss it all, and he also seemed to understand that Charlotte wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Slowly, he nodded his head in agreement.

His expression was almost sympathetic as he looked at Charlotte again. "Maybe we should just follow everyone back inside and dance for a little while?" he suggested. He still looked a little annoyed on overhearing the argument, but it seemed that he was prepared to overlook his own negative feelings for now, and Charlotte knew that she should be grateful that no tense words had been exchanged between Sidney and James.

Although Charlotte wasn't really in the mood for dancing at the moment, she ended up nodding in agreement with James's suggestion. After all, it would surely be better to get lost in the crowd on the dance floor in the ballroom, than it would be to stay out here in the hallway with James, where they would potentially have to talk about everything that had just happened, or better than it would be to walk around the building in circles again, trying to avoid everyone, while going nowhere.

And so Charlotte ended up following James back into the ballroom and onto the dance floor.

If Charlotte had thought that it had been difficult to get through the dance with Tom and Mary and Diana and Arthur after her slow dance with Sidney, then it was nothing to the challenge of getting through this dance now.

The music might have been upbeat, but Charlotte felt rather glum as she went through the motions with James, the two of them using dance steps that they had previously rehearsed in the staff room at work.

She could barely keep in time with the music, as she was so distracted by all the thoughts running through her head.

Everything had happened so fast since her dance with Sidney, and so many words had been said, and Charlotte still wasn't sure how to process it all.

How could she even begin to process Georgiana's theory that Sidney was in love with her? She felt a little dizzy even thinking about it.

Mixed in with the dizziness was a rush of anxiety at the possibility that the other things that Georgiana had said were true. What would it mean for all of them, if they were?

What was worse was that she and Sidney had not yet exchanged one word between the two of them since they had been separated on the dance floor.

Still feeling dazed and confused, Charlotte couldn't help glancing around the room every few seconds, her attention on a few people in particular.

Georgiana was dancing with Arthur. Her expression was solemn, serious, like she was also thinking about everything that had just occurred, but every now and again, Arthur managed to draw a smile out of her. Charlotte wasn't sure if Georgiana's smiles were genuine, or simply out of politeness. Perhaps she was just trying to pretend that nothing had happened, and that nothing was wrong.

Sidney also seemed to be going through the motions with Diana, smiling politely at her whenever she looked at him, but otherwise looking like he would rather be anywhere else.

Every now and again, Sidney looked over in Charlotte's direction, the expression on his face intense as Charlotte looked back at him.

Charlotte wondered if she should perhaps just run over to him and demand answers to some of her unspoken questions right in the middle of the dance floor-she was sure that several of her friends and acquaintances would no doubt advise her to do just that, and Charlotte was feeling so bewildered and so exasperated by the lack of clarity on anything that she really was tempted to take drastic action-but the more logical part of her mind was telling her that that sort of behaviour at a formal event would probably look a bit undignified, and it would perhaps not be appropriate when they were surrounded by so many work colleagues.

She knew that she would be mortified, if she walked right over to Sidney, only for him to tell her that there had been no truth at all to Georgiana's statement that he was in love with her, and that Charlotte had simply been imagining some sort of connection between the two of them during their dance.

Still, 'love' was such a strong word, and Charlotte almost felt a sharp pang in her chest whenever she thought about it. She was sure that she would be feeling like this for a long time to come.

As soon as the song came to an end, Sidney excused himself with a nod of his head and he started to walk away from the dance floor.

He had barely taken a few steps away from the dance floor however when he was suddenly approached and surrounded by his other family members-Tom and Mary and Arthur (who was no longer dancing with Georgiana), all of them talking at him at once, as though they were trying to find out important information from him.

Still trying to keep up with the dance steps of the latest song, Charlotte followed their line of vision, and she realised that the Parkers were all looking in Georgiana's direction, who had moved away from the dance floor to sit in a corner of the room, close to a fireplace. Otis was kneeling at her side, and he seemed to be whispering soothing words in her ear. Charlotte suspected that he was trying to apologise to her after their argument, while the Parkers must have been trying to find out more from Sidney about that argument.

Sidney did not look happy about all of his family's questions, and he seemed to keep his answers short. It wasn't long before the Parkers were talking among themselves again, with Sidney seemingly excluded from the conversation.

The moment James became distracted by Fred and his girlfriend, and a couple of other work colleagues who were dancing close to them, Sidney seemed to take a step closer to the dance floor. For a moment, Charlotte felt like her heart skipped a beat as she wondered whether Sidney was about to walk towards her, but then he seemed to pause as he took his phone out of his pocket. His phone screen was lit up, like somebody was trying to call him. He frowned as he looked right at his phone.

From the other side of the dance floor, Charlotte watched as Sidney initially seemed to reject the incoming call-perhaps it was a work-related call, and he did not think that this was the time or the place to be taking work calls-but then the screen seemed to light up, like a couple of messages were being sent to his phone instead.

Still surrounded by his family, Sidney seemed to be trying to be discreet as he read the messages that seemed to be coming through to his phone.

He might have been trying to be subtle, but Charlotte couldn't help but notice the visible widening of Sidney's eyes as he scrolled through his phone. For a few moments, he seemed to freeze with his phone in his hand, as though momentarily shocked by something, and then a dark look crossed his face.

Charlotte pretended to smile as she span around in a circle with Fred's girlfriend as part of the dance, and then she hurriedly went back to watching Sidney, who seemed to be politely excusing himself from the conversation with his family. It really seemed like he had just received some sort of bad news.

Sidney's family members looked a little curious as to why Sidney suddenly seemed to be in a rush to get away, but it looked like Sidney was doing his best to pretend that nothing was wrong…maybe nothing _was_ wrong, Charlotte reminded herself; perhaps she was simply imagining things.

Whatever was going on, it wasn't long before Sidney was walking away from them and taking rapid steps across the ballroom and towards the main doors.

As he left the room, Arthur and Tom and Diana continued with their conversation, apparently pacified by Sidney's parting words, and truly believing that everything was fine. Only Mary seemed to throw several worried looks in Sidney's direction, like she had not been convinced by his words.

As the latest song thankfully came to an end, Georgiana seemed to take pity on Charlotte, and she walked back onto the dance floor, asking James if he wanted to dance with her.

With James and Georgiana focusing on dancing together, Charlotte finally had an excuse to leave the dance floor.

Trying to be discreet, she walked slowly towards the main doors, only having to stop for a couple of minutes to make polite conversation with a group of her work colleagues who approached her before she could reach the doors, before she slipped out of the room.

It wasn't that she was planning on confronting Sidney, exactly, or following him around the building; it was more that she was feeling overwhelmed by being in the ballroom, and she was more curious to see where Sidney had gone, and to discover whether he really was in the middle of some sort of frantic phone conversation in the hallway.

But Sidney was not in the hallway. In fact, he was nowhere to be found. Charlotte walked around the rest of the building for a little while, but she didn't see him anywhere. She then stepped outside and stood on the steps for a few minutes, but Sidney was not out there. It looked like he had gone.

The moment she gave up and walked back into the Assembly Rooms, Charlotte was approached by a woman who was wearing a very professional looking suit and carrying a phone in her hand.

"Charlotte Heywood?" said the woman as she got closer.

Charlotte stared at the woman in shock, wondering who she was and how she knew her name.

"A car has been arranged to take you and friends back to your hotel tonight, whenever you're ready…if you want, that is." As she spoke, the woman nodded in the direction of the still open doors in the hallway. Through those doors, Charlotte could see a very fancy-looking car outside, parked a few feet away from the steps leading up to the Assembly Rooms. It was the kind of car that people would hire for parties and celebrations.

Charlotte frowned in confusion, wondering who had arranged this for her.

"Courtesy of Lady Susan," the woman explained as she lowered her voice a little and showed Charlotte a business card bearing Lady Susan's name. "I'm her personal assistant. She…er…said that you were a friend of hers, and that she wanted to do something nice to help you out. Although," the woman continued with a frown of her own, "she also said something about a friend of hers initially requesting this for you…perhaps that makes more sense to you than it does to me?"

Charlotte shook her head. "Nothing about this evening makes sense," she muttered.

After thinking about it for a little while, Charlotte decided to accept the offer of the use of one of Susan's cars to get her back to the hotel. It would probably be easier than getting a taxi. Although the ball was not yet over, she also decided that she was ready to leave now. Recent events had definitely taken away some of the excitement of the evening.

She briefly returned to the ballroom (a quick glance around showed her that Sidney was not there), to see if any of her colleagues wanted to join her. Only the Beaufort sisters and a couple of male work colleagues who worked on the hotel site with James and had spent most of the evening talking to Julia and Phillida took her up on the offer.

James seemed disappointed when Charlotte told him her plans to leave the ball. It turned out that Fred had been talking about some sort of after party at the hotel bar in the hotel where he and James were staying, and James asked Charlotte if she would prefer to go to the after party with him instead.

Charlotte thought about it for a few moments, but she turned the invitation down, insisting that she was too tired, and telling James that he should go and have a good time. She was not really in the mood to continue partying, and she was worried that James would get the wrong idea, if she went back to his hotel, especially if it was only couples who were going to the after party.

Georgiana and Otis insisted on walking with Charlotte to the car, but they were not yet ready to head back to Georgiana's hotel; they said that they were planning on walking into the city centre together, and continuing the night at a bar or a club.

Georgiana seemed to have reached a silent agreement with Charlotte not to discuss the events of the evening, although things definitely felt tense between the two of them now.

Charlotte and Georgiana walked past Tom and Mary and Arthur and Diana in the hallway on the way to the car, all of them getting ready to leave, and they started to say their goodbyes.

Trying to keep her voice casual, Charlotte quietly asked Tom and Mary about where Sidney was as she said goodbye to him.

"He's already left, I think," said Tom, sounding a little confused. "He seemed in a rush to leave the building, truth be told. He's probably headed into the city with his friends, just like last night…"

Tom did not exactly sound convinced by this explanation, but it seemed to be the most logical explanation that he could come up with for Sidney's departure.

The air was cool when Charlotte stepped outside. She got into the car quickly, only pausing to say a quick goodbye to Otis and Georgiana, who then started to walk down the road hand-in-hand.

As soon as she sat down in the car, Charlotte flinched at the sound of shrieking from the Beaufort sisters, who were both overcome with excitement at how 'amazing' the interior of the car looked.

The incessant chatter from the Beauforts and their new 'boyfriends' on the journey back to the hotel was for once almost welcome. If anything, it distracted Charlotte, preventing her from getting too lost in her own negative thoughts about how the evening had turned out, or obsessing too much over what Georgiana had said during the argument, or asking herself over and over who had been calling Sidney, and where he had run off to.

Still, Charlotte was more than a little relieved when the car finally pulled up outside her hotel.

All in all, it was a rather strange end to what had turned out to be a rather strange night, and Charlotte wasn't quite sure what to think about everything that had occurred.

* * *

The next morning, Charlotte found herself walking through Prior Park, a well-known landscape garden in Bath.

A few of the tourist websites focusing on the city of Bath had stated that the garden was worth a visit, referencing the bridge and the summer house as being among the park's main attractions.

The summerhouse was particularly beautiful, built under a roof of Cotswold stone tiles and tucked away among trees and surrounded by flowers. Charlotte only wished that she could appreciate its beauty a little more.

The park was not difficult to navigate, and there were several paths marked on the lush green grass, but still Charlotte felt like she was lost with every step that she took.

She had slept badly last night, too consumed in all her thoughts and recollections of the ball to really get a good night's sleep. For what had seemed like hours, she had stared up at the ceiling in her hotel room, going over everything that had happened. Various moments had seemed to play over and over in her thoughts, including her dance with Sidney, and her discovery about Esther, and the conversation with Susan…not to mention Sidney and Georgiana's argument, and Sidney's abrupt departure.

She had woken up early after a restless sleep, and, still feeling rather glum, she had been tempted to just check out early and head straight back to London, but in the end, she'd decided that she needed to get some fresh air to clear her head first.

And so she'd hurriedly packed all of her belongings, as well as several items of clothing and jewellery that belonged to Georgiana; items which she'd left behind in Charlotte's room yesterday evening after they'd got ready for the ball together and headed to the Assembly Rooms. Charlotte would give these items back to Georgiana in London at some point next week; the truth was that she did not particularly feel like interacting with Georgiana right now, or indeed with anyone who had been involved in any of last night's arguments.

After she'd packed, Charlotte had then eaten a quick breakfast at the hotel, before she'd checked out and loaded everything up in her car.

She'd sent a quick message to James while she'd eaten breakfast, claiming that she didn't feel too well and that she was planning on driving back to London.

James had seemed very concerned in his reply, telling her that he hoped she felt better soon, but Charlotte wondered if he saw it for the excuse that it was, and that the truth was that she didn't want to face him just yet after everything that had happened last night.

James had even offered to head to her hotel to spend some time with her before she left, but Charlotte had insisted that it wasn't necessary, and that she would soon be leaving. He'd messaged her again, telling her again that he really hoped that she was all right, and advising her to get some rest, and telling her that he hoped to see her in London tomorrow. His kind words had only served to make Charlotte feel a little guilty.

After she'd left the hotel, Charlotte had headed here, to Prior Park, determined to just take a quick walk before she began the journey back to London.

She knew that there were plenty of other places she could have visited in Bath today, including the city's famous Jane Austen Centre, but she didn't really feel like doing much else; she'd already decided that she would return to Bath with Alison at some point in the near future, and then they could visit all of the Jane Austen-themed tourist attractions together.

Charlotte thoughts were still rather muddled as she reached the Palladian Bridge, the other main attraction in the park, and she began to walk over it. The Palladian Bridge had been built over a lake in the park, and it was made up of a series of arches set on posts. The bridge offered a view of a mansion in the distance, towards the city, and Charlotte knew that at any other time, she would have been completely taken in by this view.

Charlotte had just crossed the bridge when she heard someone calling her name. She looked up to see Tom Parker, who was waving at her as he walked towards her.

Charlotte shook her head, marvelling at yet another strange coincidence of running into people she knew in the middle of a city, but the truth was that she wasn't particularly annoyed at seeing Tom here. Maybe it would do her good, she decided as she waved back at Tom, to have a distraction from her thoughts for a little while.

"Charlotte!" Tom greeted her with a smile as he approached. "It's a lovely day, isn't it, and Prior Park is simply wonderful! It looks just like the pictures on the tourist websites, doesn't it?" Tom's voice was full of enthusiasm, and he looked like he'd been taking a brisk walk and enjoying the fresh air. He now seemed happily oblivious to all the conflicts that had happened last night, although Charlotte did consider the possibility that he was just putting on a brave face.

"Tom," Charlotte greeted him with a smile of her own. She could also put on a brave face, when the moment called for it.

In the distance, Charlotte could also see Arthur, Diana and Mary, the three of them sitting down on a park bench. Arthur looked a little distressed, and he seemed to be taking deep breaths as Diana fussed over him.

"Is Arthur all right?" Charlotte asked Tom, feeling a little concerned.

"Oh…yes, yes, he'll be fine," said Tom, with the dismissive air of someone who was used to this sort of behaviour from their brother. "He's just a little out of breath, that's all! I think all the exertion of the weekend has finally caught up with him," he added, with the hint of an amused chuckle, "although I'm sure he'll be right as rain in no time!"

Charlotte hoped that this was the case.

"Perhaps you'd like to take a walk together for a few minutes while the others take a rest?" Tom suggested.

Charlotte nodded in agreement. She might have been trying to avoid her work colleagues, but she didn't really mind spending time with Tom.

"Is Sidney not with you today?" Charlotte couldn't help asking Tom after they'd taken a few steps, trying to sound as casual as possible, as though she were simply inquiring about an everyday thing like the weather.

Tom looked a bit uncomfortable on being asked this question. "Ah, well…no," he mumbled as he ran his hand through his hair. "It turns out that...some very important business has recently come up in London, and so he made the decision to head back early…" There was definitely a look of worry on Tom's face as he finished his sentence.

Charlotte felt a little hurt on hearing this news. A part of her wondered if Sidney was just avoiding her, after everything that had been said at the ball, and perhaps he had asked his brother to cover for him and to come up with some sort of work-related excuse for his departure. If Sidney _was_ just avoiding her, then he was certainly going to great lengths to do so. Was he going out of his way to ensure that she did not get the wrong idea about his feelings for her? Did his silence on the matter speak volumes? Perhaps Charlotte had her answer simply by the fact that he had not said anything at all.

Or worse, Charlotte suddenly thought, what if Eliza had been the one to call him last night, perhaps letting him know that she would soon be returning to London, and now he was rushing back to the city to see her? Charlotte tried not to show any visible signs of distress as she thought about this, although she felt like her mind was in turmoil.

Tom must have seen something in Charlotte's facial expression however, because he suddenly looked a little concerned on her behalf. "I do hope you have not been offended, if Sidney has at times come across as rude, or abrupt, or standoffish," he said, his tone almost apologetic. "I can assure you that he very much appreciates the work you're doing for our company…"

It seemed that Tom had slightly misinterpreted the reason why Charlotte was upset. Perhaps he believed that Sidney had been rude to her at work at some point, or rude to her at the ball last night, and that this was the reason why Charlotte had left the event early.

"Oh! Not at all," Charlotte said quickly, trying to act like Sidney's opinion of her did not really concern her either way. She didn't want Tom to worry too much about Sidney's behaviour, especially as she suspected that he would soon have plenty of worries of his own.

"Please don't take any of it too personally," Tom continued, apparently not fooled by Charlotte's seemingly casual response. "It seems as though he is like that with everyone nowadays," he added with a sigh. He had the air of someone who was longing for a simpler time, when things had been different. "I'm afraid he hasn't quite been the same since the end of his relationship with Eliza…"

On hearing Eliza's name, Charlotte felt the now familiar, unpleasant sensation that felt a lot like jealousy, even though she would never admit something like that out loud; she had barely even admitted it to herself yet.

"Did the relationship end badly?" Charlotte asked Tom; she couldn't help it; she really was feeling curious to find out more. The mere mention of Eliza's name seemed to provoke such a strong reaction among the Parkers, and Charlotte was interested to find out why this might be the case. She felt like she might understand Sidney a little better, if she understood his history with Eliza.

Tom seemed to regard Charlotte for a few moments as they took a few more steps along the path, as though silently trying to decide how much he should tell her.

Perhaps he had decided that he could trust her, and that she would not repeat what he was about to tell her to anyone, or perhaps he had never really had the opportunity to voice his feelings about what had to have been an upsetting event to anyone outside of the family, and he was now relieved to find someone a bit more impartial to confide in; either way, he seemed to decide that it was okay to share this story with Charlotte, and, after a quick glance over his shoulder to check that his wife and his siblings were still sitting on the bench, he started to tell Charlotte more about Sidney's past…

"Sidney was quite young when he first moved to London," Tom began. "He was already adept at business and finance, although I suspect he would have been equally happy spending his time reading classic novels and studying literature," Tom added with a knowing grin as he looked at Charlotte.

Charlotte smiled back, although she couldn't help wondering just how much Sidney had told Tom about Charlotte's love for certain novels.

"Anyway," Tom continued, "Sidney set up an architecture business in the city, and it quickly became very successful. But, as Sidney started to make money and establish himself in London, he became a little more wary. His business might have been thriving," Tom explained, "but he found that there were always people around who were jealous and competitive, and others who were ready to take advantage and use him for his money. He had many business rivals who were prepared to resort to under-handed tactics in order to compete with him, and a couple of the women he dated seemed more interested in his growing wealth than in him as a person, and so he felt like he had to keep his guard up, especially around people he didn't know very well..."

Tom paused for a moment, as though trying to work out Charlotte's reaction to the story so far, or trying to find out whether she wanted him to continue.

Charlotte simply nodded, indicating that he should go on.

"But he was happy enough, I suppose," said Tom. "He had his friends and his family in London, with his siblings working for him as part of his new company, and he had few financial worries...and he'd even had a few good short-term relationships. But, then, well…a few disasters struck at once." A dark look seemed to cross Tom's face as he said these words, as though the memory of this particular period of time were still painful. "The family business ran into debt…"-here Charlotte could see a brief look of panic on Tom's face, and she wondered if Tom was concerned that history was about to repeat itself- "and then, around the same time, our mother and Georgiana's mother passed away."

"I'm sorry," said Charlotte, feeling deeply sympathetic. She could only imagine how painful it must have been, to cope with those losses, especially during a time of financial struggle.

Tom nodded before he continued: "It seemed like it was all doom and gloom for a while, but after a time, the business slowly started to recover-it turned out that a mysterious donation had been made, although Sidney never revealed the identity of the person who had made the donation-and the donation helped to save the business. Even with the rebuilding of the business, however, Sidney was not quite himself; it was like something was missing from his life…and then he met Eliza."

Charlotte felt another unwelcome tug of jealousy, especially as Tom said her name in a way that implied that she had been the answer to all of Sidney's problems at the time.

Tom did not seem to notice Charlotte's reaction. "Eliza came into Sidney's life at a time when he'd been going through some difficulties; a time when he had little money, and a lot of uncertainty still with his career, but she didn't seem to care. She just seemed to like Sidney for who he was as a person. Of course, Sidney was a little wary about pursuing a relationship with her, at first; past experiences had taught him to be guarded, and, from what he told Mary and I, he felt like he didn't have much to offer her; his time and energy were mostly consumed with rebuilding the business, and with looking out for Georgiana-he'd promised her mother he would, you see, and Georgiana certainly placed a lot of demands on his time, for one reason or another."

Charlotte wondered how it must have been for Sidney at the time, to have the responsibility for looking out for a teenager whose mother had recently passed, while also dealing with the loss of his own mother.

"But Eliza was determined," said Tom. "She made sure to become a part of his life, and she got to know his family and friends. She was honest and forthright about her feelings, and I suppose that was refreshing to my brother, in a city that often seemed to be full of deceit. And so, when she finally asked him out on a date, Sidney agreed."

Again, Charlotte tried to push down her feelings of jealousy. She wondered if Sidney and his family would think that she was very silly and naïve, to be thinking this way, about Sidney's relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

"So Sidney and Eliza started to go out on dates," Tom continued as the path took an upward turn and he and Charlotte began to climb a small hill that would offer them a better view of the city of Bath at the top. "Over time, Sidney really began to put all of his trust in Eliza. What reason did he have not to? She had come into his life at a time when he had very little, and from all that we could see, she loved Sidney anyway. None of us had any reason to doubt her intentions. Sidney decided to give their relationship a chance, and things quickly developed. He and Eliza didn't have much, but as far as Mary and I could tell, they were happy. At last, Sidney was able to smile and laugh and joke again, and he began to enjoy living in London. He and Eliza moved into a small flat just outside the city, and the two of them redecorated it together; they really did make the place look nice. It wasn't much, but for them, it was home."

Tom definitely seemed nostalgic as he spoke, as though these had been happy times for the whole family. It seemed like he really had got along with Eliza at the time, and had considered her a good match for Sidney. He and Mary must have spent many a happy evening sharing food and drinks with Sidney and Eliza in their flat, Charlotte realised.

"They couldn't afford fancy holidays at that time," he went on, "but a couple of times a year, they went to stay at a seaside resort, and Sidney always looked forward to this time away from London; the beach had been one of his favourite places, as a child, and I suppose he enjoyed sharing those memories with Eliza, and making new memories there. And it wasn't long before the business started to grow and expand, and it was soon making a decent profit again. Eliza was skilled in business herself, and she offered some good advice to Sidney along the way as he taught her all about the company…"

Tom seemed to go quiet for a few moments, as though trying to decide whether he should share the next part of the story.

"And then what happened?" Charlotte prompted him gently as they neared the top of the hill.

With a sigh, Tom continued: "With the business thriving again, Sidney made plans to propose to Eliza. He was planning on proposing at the beach, where they'd shared so many happy memories together. He had a romantic weekend planned out; a weekend that was going to conclude with the proposal on the beach. And then," Tom said, with obvious sadness in his voice, "only days before Sidney was due to propose, Eliza announced to Sidney-seemingly out of nowhere-that she wanted to end their relationship."

Charlotte felt shocked on hearing this. When she thought about it, she supposed she'd always imagined that the relationship had ended more gradually, or perhaps by mutual agreement.

Tom seemed to notice the shocked look on Charlotte's face. "Yes, it really did seem to be totally out of the blue," he said, "and understandably, it came as a terrible shock to Sidney; he wasn't prepared for it, and he hardly knew how to react. He'd always thought that they were happy together, and he'd believed that Eliza would have told him directly, or at least offered some sort of hint, if this hadn't been the case. He'd put his trust in Eliza, and he'd always assumed that she would do the same with him. Only they can know the full details of what transpired after Eliza's announcement, but I heard that something was said about how she was no longer happy in London, and she told him that she'd been making plans for a life in another city. In a matter of days, she'd packed up her things, and she was gone."

In spite of everything, Charlotte couldn't help feeling a rush of sympathy on Sidney's behalf. She could only imagine how heart-breaking it must have been, to have loved and trusted someone, only for them to end a relationship and leave without explanation, without answers. Although, this thought only made her feel all the more annoyed with Sidney, for walking out of the ballroom yesterday and leaving Bath with no real explanation.

"Where did she go?" Charlotte asked Tom. She wondered what could have been so much better, than a life in London with Sidney.

"She moved to New York," Tom replied, "where she began to work for an architecture business in Manhattan; a business owned by the new man she was dating. And, well…" Tom seemed a little hesitant, "less than two months after moving to New York, Eliza was engaged…"

Charlotte could see the look of conflict on Tom's face. He seemed to have got along well with Eliza, but perhaps he suspected, deep down, that something a little under-handed had occurred on Eliza's part, even if he did not want to believe it. Maybe he thought that there had been some sort of overlap in the timeline of Eliza's relationship with Sidney and the man who she had ended up getting engaged to, even though he would probably never say something like that out loud.

"Eliza's fiancé was older; a well-known businessman, and he was very wealthy," Tom said instead. "He owned a chain of architecture and building companies in Manhattan, and in Los Angeles. He put Eliza in charge of his New York branch, and she was very successful there. It seems she had already learnt a lot from her work at Sidney's architecture company," Tom muttered, with just a hint of bitterness in his voice. "For a time, Eliza and her husband divided their time between New York and Los Angeles, purchasing expensive property and living quite the extravagant lifestyle. Eliza seemed happy, at least."

Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. A part of her couldn't help wondering if Eliza had chosen the possibility of wealth, and the lifestyle that came with it, above all else, although she didn't like to think that way. She was also starting to feel a little guilty for allowing her curiosity to govern her and for asking to hear this story in the first place. She wondered how Sidney would feel, if he knew that Tom had shared it with her.

"And how did Sidney feel about Eliza's new lifestyle?" Charlotte asked hesitantly.

"Well, understandably, he was still in shock about the breakup of the relationship," said Tom with a sigh, "and no doubt he must have been devastated. He'd assumed that he and Eliza would have a future together, and then suddenly Eliza was living her life with somebody else. Oh, Sidney became very successful in business himself, of course," he clarified, "and he could afford to live a very comfortable lifestyle in London, and there were plenty of other women who were interested in him, but how can money and success and admiration ever really mend a broken heart? I'm not sure he ever truly recovered from it all. And now I hear that Eliza and her husband are recently divorced."

This news came as a shock to Charlotte. She looked at Tom with what she knew to be a look of disbelief. "Really?" she asked, hoping that her negative emotions weren't coming across in her tone of voice.

She wondered if it had really been worth it for Eliza-to end her relationship with Sidney, to cut contact with family members of his who had clearly been close to her, to leave London behind, and all for a short-lived marriage that was now over. Had it really been worth the risk? Charlotte knew that she would probably never know the answer. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know, because either answer would probably be devastating to Sidney Parker.

"Really," Tom confirmed, sounding like he wished that this weren't the case. "No one on the outside can ever really know what goes on in a marriage or in a relationship though, I suppose" he added hurriedly, as though feeling like he should be defending Eliza a little, in light of everything he'd been saying about her. "Perhaps the relationship wasn't what Eliza had thought it would be. Whatever occurred between her and her husband, Eliza was able to retain the New York branch of the business after the divorce, and I hear that she's doing well there. There are rumours that she's planning to return to London for a short time; perhaps it's just for a business trip, or perhaps she's planning to make amends with Sidney…"

Charlotte felt a sudden tightness in her chest that she knew had nothing to do with the uphill walk.

"Although," Tom muttered, "between you and me, I'm not sure whether the visit would be the best thing for my brother's happiness or not. It's so difficult to know what Sidney is thinking, most of the time."

They were right at the top of the hill now. The view of the city below was truly breath-taking. Charlotte knew that she would probably take a photo of it soon and send it to her sister, trying her best to sound enthusiastic in her message to her, but right at this moment, she was too lost in the past-Sidney's past-to really focus on the view in front of her.

A quick glance over her shoulder allowed Charlotte to see that Arthur, Diana and Mary had got up from the park bench, and they had started to walk towards Charlotte and Tom.

Tom also seemed to be aware of the fact that they would soon have company. Perhaps this was what prompted him to share one final thought with Charlotte…

"All I know," he said as he looked out onto the horizon, "is that since the end of his relationship with Eliza, the Sidney we once knew has never fully returned."


	12. Chapter 12

The drive back to London from Bath seemed to pass by in nothing more than a blur. Charlotte had vague memories of the general details, such as driving along a stretch of motorway, and driving down a few quieter roads, as well as listening to classical music on the car radio in order to pass the time, but she couldn't really remember the specifics of the journey.

Her mind felt like it was in something of a fog, with the world around her appearing to her almost like it did in her recurring dream-with things looking slightly unfocused and unclear, and with the answers to Charlotte's inner questions always just out of reach.

Since her encounter with Sidney and Georgiana in the corridor on the night of the ball, everything felt rather incomplete, or like some sort of anti-climax, after a big build up to an event. Sidney had left the ball early, and they had not had the opportunity to talk, and then he had left Bath, almost like he'd been deliberately running away from any possibility of facing up to everything that had transpired during the ball.

During those moments when Charlotte had danced with Sidney, she had really felt as though something almost magical had been about to happen between them; as though something in her life had been about to change, but all of that seemed to have faded back into a more mundane reality since then, and now that Charlotte was back to facing the very realistic prospect of yet another week at work in London, she was seriously starting to question whether anything mysterious had actually happened at all, or whether those intense moments during the dance had merely been a product of her over-active imagination.

As she drove, Charlotte thought about everything that Tom had told her yesterday-the story of Sidney and Eliza and their history together. All in all, she was glad that Tom had shared this information with her; she felt like it had helped her to understand Sidney a little better, especially the reasons why he could be so distant and guarded at times. It was like finding another piece to the never-ending puzzle that was Sidney Parker.

And yet, Charlotte also couldn't help feeling a little nervous about everything that Tom had revealed. She was worried that there were still feelings there, between Sidney and his ex-girlfriend: that perhaps Sidney had not fully got over her. She was afraid that Eliza would soon return to London, and Sidney would then be forced to confront his past. And, Charlotte was afraid of her own feelings, because she had to admit, if only to herself in her most private thoughts, that she could no longer pretend to be indifferent now, to how Sidney felt about her; if she truly didn't care, then it would not have been so painful, to hear about Sidney's happy past with Eliza; she would not feel such a deep sense of dread at the thought of Eliza showing up in London. She was terrified that Susan had been right in what she had said.

* * *

By the time Charlotte arrived back in London, she was exhausted, and she seemed to walk around her flat as though in a daze for most of the evening.

After she had had something to eat, she took out her phone, and, in spite of her better judgement, and the knowledge that doing so would only serve to make her feel even more unsettled, Charlotte ended up looking at several old photos of Eliza on Sidney's Instagram page.

In every photo, Eliza looked sophisticated, and glamorous. Already, Charlotte had found out that Eliza had lived in three big cities in the world, and that she was wealthy and successful in business. No doubt she had seen a lot of the world, and she was probably experienced in relationships.

Charlotte looked away from her phone, feeling the now familiar feeling of insecurity come rushing back to her. She sighed. How could she ever compete, if Eliza returned to London to win Sidney back?

* * *

Charlotte might have felt tired all evening, but, when she finally went to bed, she found that she could not sleep. There were too many thoughts and worries running through her mind.

Already, she was dreading the thought of heading into work in the morning, especially when she thought about all the possibilities of being face to face with Sidney, or James, or Georgiana, and the awkward tension that was sure to follow. And, what if the business really was in serious trouble, as Georgiana had said? The atmosphere in the office would surely be unbearable as everybody waited to hear confirmation of the bad news. Charlotte couldn't help wondering whether she would even have a job to go to at all in a few weeks' time.

As she tried to get to sleep, Georgiana's words during her argument with Sidney played over and over in Charlotte's mind, in the way that they seemed to have been playing on repeat in her thoughts since Saturday night.

There couldn't have been any truth to Georgiana's words, could there? Sidney had certainly not offered any sort of confirmation to what Georgiana had said.

_But he did not deny it, either_ , another nagging voice in the back of Charlotte's mind reminded her.

Charlotte shook her head, desperately trying to clear those thoughts. Sidney had looked furious at what Georgiana had said, and he'd left the ball before Charlotte could get anywhere close to finding out the truth, with his departure perhaps speaking volumes about how he felt; or more specifically, how he didn't feel.

Either way, Charlotte knew that unless Sidney chose to say something to her directly, there was no way of knowing for sure.

Deep down, she was worried that she would never find out the answer to her unspoken question.

Much to her surprise, when she finally fell asleep that night, Charlotte did not have _the dream_. It felt rather strange, on realising that this dream had not made an appearance in her subconscious mind for the first time in what felt like a long time.

* * *

When Monday morning arrived, bringing with it a rather grey-looking sky, Charlotte seriously considered, for the first time since she had started working for Tom's architecture company, not going into work that day. She did not normally act in such a cowardly way, but the thought of facing Sidney, or James, or even Georgiana after everything that had happened during the weekend in Bath made her feel more than a little embarrassed and uncomfortable. She also couldn't help feeling a little annoyed, with both Sidney and Georgiana, and she really wasn't sure that she was ready to face them yet.

She ran through several workable excuses for her absence in her mind, including a list of mysterious illnesses that she might have picked up in Bath over the weekend or somehow developed overnight, even going as far as rehearsing a possible telephone conversation with Mary and Tom, where she would call in sick.

But, on feeling a horrible pang of guilt just at the very thought of it, Charlotte quickly decided against it. She had seen Tom and Mary only yesterday, when she had been in perfect health, and they would therefore surely know that she was not exactly telling the truth about any sudden illnesses.

Besides, she couldn't do something like that to her employers, not when there would be so much work to do this week in the build up to the company fundraiser, not to mention that it was very likely that the business was in serious trouble. There would be difficult times ahead, and Tom and Mary would surely need all the help they could get.

And so, with a heavy heart, and perhaps with an even heavier sense of dread, Charlotte began to get ready for work.

* * *

Thankfully, the building was quiet when Charlotte arrived at work. There were no cars parked outside, and no groups of people had gathered near the steps leading into the building to share conversations.

James Stringer had not been waiting to meet her at the Tube station this morning, and Charlotte guessed that he was probably away from the building today, working on the site where the new hotel was being built.

The main hallway was also quiet when Charlotte walked into the building. She could hear the sound of a few voices, coming from the staff room, but the voices did not belong to colleagues who she knew very well.

The door to Tom and Mary's office was closed, but Charlotte could hear Georgiana's voice, coming from inside the office. Georgiana sounded agitated, and she appeared to be in the middle of some sort of argument with Tom. Charlotte couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she couldn't miss the worried tone in Tom's voice as he spoke to Georgiana.

Charlotte wanted nothing more than to head upstairs to her own office, to avoid having to listen to the discussion going on in Tom's office, but before she could do that, she decided to quickly head to her locker first, as she was certain that she'd left a folder in there at the end of last week that contained some of the paperwork about the upcoming fundraiser. She was sure that she would need it at some point during the day.

To Charlotte's surprise, the second she opened her locker, she realised that it was not only the folder that was in there.

After she'd blinked rapidly a few times, as though trying to convince herself that she was not just imagining things, Charlotte stared at the new book that had appeared in her locker.

It was another leather-bound book, this one with a light pink cover. With shaking hands, Charlotte reached into her locker so that she could take out the book and see its title.

It was a copy of _Persuasion_ , with the title written on the cover in white letters. The front cover was also decorated with white and gold floral patterns. The cover looked a little different from the typical covers of the books that Charlotte had previously received, but it was beautiful all the same.

Charlotte glanced hurriedly from left to right, trying to see if there was anybody else in the hallway…but it was empty. There didn't even appear to be any evidence that anyone had been out in the hallway recently.

She could only hear the sound of the few unfamiliar voices in the staff room, along with Tom and Georgiana's voices, coming from the office. It didn't seem like they had left that office for a little while.

Charlotte looked back at the book in her hands, staring at the cover as though mesmerised.

_There is no evidence that Sidney Parker has been in the building today_ , a more pessimistic voice in the back of Charlotte's mind reminded her. _Or more specifically, there is no evidence that he has been anywhere near your locker_.

Charlotte didn't know why this idea made her feel so…disheartened.

Had she been completely off the mark, in her previous suspicion that Sidney was the one who was leaving the books in her locker?

Charlotte stared at her new book for a little while longer, until she was distracted by the sound of Georgiana's voice…

"All of your employees deserve to know the truth," she heard Georgiana tell Tom. "Perhaps it would just be better to be honest and put everything out in the open…"

She couldn't be fully certain what Georgiana was talking about-although she definitely had an idea-Charlotte felt a little nervous on hearing Georgiana's words, especially as Tom sounded equally worried, and like he was not in agreement with what Georgiana was saying.

Deciding that she really didn't want to be standing in the hallway when Tom and Georgiana walked out of Tom's office, Charlotte put her new book in her bag, and she started to walk quietly up the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible as she headed in the direction of her own office.

Sure enough, when Charlotte walked into her office, there was plenty of work waiting for her there. There were two folders on her desk containing plans and information about the construction of the new hotel and the restaurant that the architecture company was overseeing, and she had been left a page of instructions about all the photocopying and data entry that would be required for several of the pages in these files.

When she switched on her computer and entered her password, Charlotte also saw that there was an inbox full of emails waiting for her. It seemed that they had built up a little during the time that she had been away from work. Most of the emails referred to the company's upcoming fundraiser, which served as another reminder to Charlotte that this event would soon be upon them, and that there would now be more work to do in the build up to this event.

And so Charlotte set to work, unsure whether she felt relieved or disappointed that it seemed unlikely that she would see Sidney Parker at work today.

* * *

After a busy morning, in which her silent obsessing over the most recent book to appear in her locker threatened to distract her from all the work she had to do, Charlotte was eager to get out for some fresh air by lunchtime. Although she would not admit it to anyone, she was also reluctant to head into the staff room, where she would no doubt have to listen to all the gossip from her colleagues about the weekend in Bath and the ball, and she did not want to face any awkward questions about her decision to attend the ball with James Stringer, or questions about Georgiana and Otis's argument, or, perhaps worse of all, questions about her dance with Sidney.

The moment she stepped outside the building, Charlotte caught sight of James Stringer, who was standing a few feet away from her on the pavement.

"Charlotte!" he greeted her with a smile. He no longer looked as stressed out as he had looked late on Saturday night. He took a few rapid steps towards her and joined her on the stone steps. "I've been promoted!" he announced to her with another smile.

He sounded so happy for himself that Charlotte couldn't help but be caught up in his enthusiasm.

"Really?" Charlotte asked him, hoping for James's sake that this was true.

"Yes!" James confirmed. "Tom Parker called me on Friday to talk about the possibility of it, but I didn't want to say anything until it was confirmed…and, well, I received the official confirmation this morning! I'll be site manager now, at the site of the new hotel!"

"James, that's wonderful news!" Charlotte told him with a smile. She really meant it, too. Their friendship might have become a bit complicated since James had asked her to the ball, but still Charlotte was genuinely happy for her friend. She knew how much this would mean to him; he'd clearly been hoping for a promotion for a while, and perhaps he'd started to believe that it was never going to happen. This really was good news for him; Charlotte knew that this promotion could bring more opportunities into James's professional life in London. "Congratulations!" Charlotte added.

Still in celebratory mode, James leaned forward a little and took Charlotte's hands in his as he thanked her for her congratulations.

"Oh," he suddenly mumbled, as though just realising what he had done.

He sounded a little flustered, a little apologetic; it seemed that he was a little uncertain of their friendship since the events at the ball, and now he wasn't sure which affectionate gestures were acceptable.

Charlotte was just about to say something, to reassure him that it was okay, to share gestures like these in a moment of celebration, but she suddenly became completely distracted when she caught sight of someone else out of the corner of her eye, and she realised that she and James were no longer alone…

James started to pull back a little, just as Charlotte-almost reluctantly-turned her head to the side to see who was standing there. She felt a strange sense of dread as she did so, as though her mind had already worked out exactly who it was, before she could see for herself and have her suspicions confirmed to her.

And sure enough, as though the universe were now conspiring against her, the moment Charlotte turned to look, she saw none other than Sidney Parker, standing just a couple of feet away from where Charlotte and James were standing, with his car parked a little further down the road.

His eyes were fixed on their joined hands. Charlotte couldn't tell what he was thinking on witnessing this gesture between Charlotte and James, as Sidney was difficult to read at the best of times, but she could see that the look on his face definitely didn't suggest that he was happy about what he saw.

Charlotte felt like her heart skipped a few beats. This was the first time that she had seen him, since the ball. Sidney might have looked very handsome, dressed smartly in a dark, formal work suit, but Charlotte couldn't really think about that right now. She had so many mixed emotions on seeing Sidney Parker after the events of the weekend, and she wasn't sure how she felt on seeing him here, in this moment. Flashbacks of the dance seemed to run rapidly through her mind, along with flashes of her conversation with Susan, and all the words that Georgiana had said during her argument with Sidney, closely followed by a flashback of Charlotte's walk through Prior Park with Tom, where he had told her about Sidney's past with Eliza.

As though suddenly realising that he was staring at Charlotte and James's joined hands, Sidney seemed to quickly compose himself. He looked up, his eyes seemingly fixed beyond Charlotte and James as he looked towards the front door, and the mask of indifference seemed to reappear on his face.

Discreetly, Charlotte let go of James's hands and took a step back. She didn't know why she suddenly felt…guilty, almost for sharing such a gesture with James. It wasn't like she was actually doing anything wrong. Sidney had been the one to run away from Bath without saying anything, not her.

And yet, now that the initial shock of seeing Sidney Parker was starting to wear off a little, Charlotte couldn't help wishing that he had not run into her in these circumstances. Of all the times for Sidney to arrive, when she was sharing what had to look like an affectionate gesture with James Stringer! She wondered if he thought that her relationship with James ran deeper than just friendship-perhaps he thought that Charlotte had strong feelings for him. But Charlotte could hardly rush to deny any of those possible suspicions, with James standing right there with her. She cared about James, even though she knew that what she felt about him was likely different to how he felt about her, and she did not want to hurt his feelings. Besides, she was still so confused about her feelings for Sidney, and she still felt like there was so much about him that she did not quite understand.

"Miss Heywood, Mr. Stringer," Sidney greeted the two of them with a quick incline of his head.

To a casual observer, he would simply look and sound like a manager who was politely greeting two of his employees; employees who he didn't know very well.

Charlotte felt like her heart was sinking at such a formal address. It had felt like such an intimate moment at the ball, when he had addressed her by her surname, and she couldn't help feeling disappointed that he now seemed determined to revert back to the way that things had been between them before the weekend in Bath. Charlotte had secretly been hoping that he would call her by her first name from now on, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. It felt like he was trying to put a distance between the two of them again, and it made Charlotte nervous to think about all the reasons why this might be the case.

It took all of Charlotte's effort to keep her voice even as she replied, "Mr. Parker." However, she held her head high and looked him right in the eye as she spoke, and she knew that her expression was almost defiant. She could also put a mask of indifference on her own face, when the situation called for it.

But still, her outward appearance of confidence did nothing to prevent Charlotte from feeling a sense of awkwardness at this situation, with the three of them standing uncomfortably outside the company building. She wondered if Sidney felt the same.

"Mr. Parker," James greeted Sidney with a quick nod of his head. The expression on his face looked tense, and it sounded like it was costing him a great effort to keep his tone of voice polite, just like when he had greeted Sidney outside the Assembly Rooms, and he seemed to be trying not to frown.

Finally, with another brief nod in Charlotte and James's direction, Sidney started to head towards the front door, walking right between Charlotte and James, which meant that they had to stand further apart to let him past. His body language as he passed was incredibly tense, and Charlotte had a feeling that this was for other reasons than his awkward encounter with her and James. It seemed like he had some sort of urgent business to discuss with Tom and Mary. He really did look worried about something.

A tense silence seemed to descend on Charlotte and James the moment Sidney had walked through the front door and closed it behind him. The momentary elation on hearing about James's promotion now seemed to have worn off a little.

Something had changed between them since the events of the ball; Charlotte could just tell. Even their friendship seemed a little strained now. Charlotte knew that James had allowed himself to believe that there was potentially something more than friendship between the two of them, and now that he was starting to see that things were more complicated than that…well, Charlotte was worried that they wouldn't even be able to salvage any sort of friendship from the situation.

"I really am happy for you, James," said Charlotte, speaking very fast in her rush to end the silence and cover up the awkward moment. She tried to force a smile. "You'll have to tell me the story soon, of how it all came about."

James smiled at her, looking relieved to return to the topic of his promotion, although he still looked a little tense. "Thank you, Charlotte," he told her. "It was an unexpected surprise, but a very welcome one…I feel like I've been waiting for it for a long time…"

Charlotte almost sensed a hint of bitterness in his voice about not being promoted sooner.

"I have to head back to the site soon," James continued, sounding a little apologetic. "We're a little behind with work today; I think everyone's tired after the weekend in Bath. I just want to find Georgiana to let her know the good news first…but maybe we could meet for a coffee soon to talk about everything?"

Something about the expression on James's face hinted to Charlotte that he did not simply want to meet for coffee to discuss his promotion. Charlotte had her suspicions that he wanted to talk about everything that had happened in Bath over the weekend, especially all the things that Georgiana had revealed during her argument. He no doubt wanted to find out where he stood with her, now that he was starting to suspect that there was something there between Charlotte and Sidney.

Already, Charlotte was dreading the very idea of such a discussion. And yet, she knew that it would have to happen, sooner or later. She did not know exactly what she would say to James when they met for coffee, but she thought it would perhaps be for the best, to sit down and have an honest discussion in the relative privacy of a coffee shop.

They started to make arrangements, trying to agree on a date and time to meet. James had to work late for the rest of the week, and for a few hours on Saturday, and so in the end they agreed to meet on Sunday afternoon for coffee.

With that, James went inside to go and speak to Georgiana, while Charlotte began walking down the road, heading in the direction of the local sandwich shop for lunch. Again, she felt relieved to be getting away from the building and all the workplace drama for a little while.

* * *

Perhaps due to feeling exhausted after a busy day at work, Charlotte slept better on Monday night than she had slept the night before, which was just as well, because there was plenty of work waiting for Charlotte on her desk on Tuesday morning, as well as an inbox full of new emails about the fundraiser, and emails containing legal documents about the construction of the restaurant. The construction of the new restaurant seemed to be moving along faster than the construction of the hotel, and as it was now almost complete, there seemed to be a lot more paperwork related to this restaurant.

Charlotte also had another data entry task to complete, and so she got to work on it, remaining focused on this task for about an hour, until Mary headed into her office, providing her with conversation and a welcome distraction for a little while.

Mary mentioned that she was planning on heading into the city centre with the children on Saturday afternoon, and she invited Charlotte to meet them for lunch.

Charlotte happily agreed to the invitation; it would be nice, to see the children again.

Georgiana had not shown up to work that morning. When Charlotte asked Tom about her at the start of her lunch hour, Tom simply said that Georgiana had not been feeling very well this morning, and she had called in sick.

Charlotte wasn't sure if she believed this explanation, but she had no choice but to nod and say that she hoped Georgiana felt better soon.

She then spent the rest of her lunch hour reading _Persuasion_ , before she returned to her office for the afternoon.

Deep down, Charlotte knew that she was focusing so much on her work tasks, and on reading her new book, so that she would not have to focus on all the issues in her everyday life that were troubling her. It was so much easier, to just get lost in the opening chapters of _Persuasion_ , and lost in the routine of answering emails, rather than having to worry about Sidney, or James, or Georgiana, or Otis, or the events of the ball, or the state of the company's finances.

She had a bad feeling though, that she wouldn't be able to ignore her own problems for too long. As had happened before, something was bound to occur soon that would force her to confront all her troubles.

* * *

By the end of the day, Charlotte's thoughts felt a little muddled up after answering emails for what seemed like hours on end, and so, after thinking about it for a little while, she made the decision to head to the local Starbucks after work.

It felt like a little while since she had last been there, and she thought it would be nice, to relax with a hot drink and read _Persuasion_ for an hour or so before she headed back to her flat.

Besides, she reasoned with herself as she gathered up her things and prepared to leave her office for the day, it was unlikely that she would run into Sidney there this evening.

He mainly seemed to head to Starbucks on Fridays, and it was still only Tuesday, and Charlotte had not seen him in the architecture company building all day. A quick glance out of her office window also confirmed that his car was not parked outside the building at the moment.

Charlotte couldn't help wondering if it was perhaps a little cowardly, to be so keen on avoiding Sidney Parker, but her encounter with him yesterday had been so…awkward, and she wasn't exactly in a rush to repeat it. Although Tom Parker had provided Charlotte with more of an insight into Sidney's life and his past, the actions of Sidney himself over the past few days had only served to confuse her even more.

* * *

As she walked towards the local Starbucks, Charlotte sent a quick message to Georgiana, just so she could try to find out for herself if she was definitely all right. Things had been a little tense between the two of them since the argument on Saturday evening, but still Charlotte was worried about her, and she hoped that she was okay.

Just as Charlotte was walking through the coffee shop door, Georgiana replied to her message, letting Charlotte know that she was just feeling a little under the weather, and that she felt like she needed a couple of days away from work.

Charlotte was so busy reading Georgiana's reply that she did not initially look up from her phone to take a quick scan of the room before she walked in.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that there were a couple of people standing in line, waiting to order drinks, while a few other people were sat at the tables by the windows, but that was about all she noticed.

She joined the short line of customers, briefly glancing up at the drinks menu that was displayed on the wall behind the counter, before she went back to checking messages on her phone.

It came as something of a surprise when she suddenly heard the distinct sound of Sidney Parker's voice…

"It seems that some of the more…unpleasant details about the state of the finances have been concealed from me…" Charlotte could hear him say. He was talking in a low voice, like he really didn't want to be heard.

On hearing his voice, Charlotte jumped, and then she felt her whole body tense up. Slowly and discreetly, she looked up from her phone and glanced over her shoulder to see Sidney _and_ Babington, sitting at a table together in the far corner of the room. Their choice of table and their tense body language definitely suggested that they were in the middle of a private conversation, and they were trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

Charlotte sighed. So Sidney _had_ decided to head to Starbucks today after all. Either he was here more often than Charlotte had thought, or this was yet another strange coincidence that had led to the two of them being at the same place at the same time again. It seemed that Sidney could not be so easily avoided, even when Charlotte was actively trying to avoid him.

Babington was watching Sidney from across their table with a concerned-looking expression on his face.

"Surely it can't be so bad?" he asked his friend. "There must be a way for you to renegotiate the loans, like last time."

"I'll do whatever it takes, but I fear that it's worse than last time," Sidney responded with a sigh.

The expression on Babington's face was sympathetic, and yet again Charlotte felt that horrible sense of dread that the company really was in serious trouble.

Charlotte thought about just turning back around and walking out of the coffee shop before Sidney or Babington could notice her, as she did not want anymore awkward encounters, but she was already at the front of the line, about to place her order, and she was worried that she would perhaps draw even more attention to herself if she walked out of the coffee shop at this very moment.

Charlotte decided on a simple Royal English Breakfast Tea as her choice of drink today. She also asked for her tea to be served in a takeout cup, so that she would not have a reason to stay at the coffee shop.

One of the baristas handed her takeout cup to her, and Charlotte had just taken a few steps away from the counter and closer to the exit when she saw Edward stumble through the open door and into the coffee shop.

For a moment, she was reminded of what she had discovered at the ball, that she and Esther shared the same aunt, and again she thought about how she should do something soon to find out more about Esther's family history, and her connection to Edward, but Edward looked like he was currently in such a state that it didn't take long until Charlotte was distracted from her thoughts by his appearance.

He looked rather dishevelled, with his hair a mess, and dark circles under his eyes. Even though it was barely half past five, he had clearly been drinking for most of the afternoon, and he looked well on the way to being very drunk. As he walked further into the room, he swayed a little with every step.

Almost without thinking about it, Charlotte walked towards the only empty table; a table that happened to be almost next to Sidney and Babington's table. She did not particularly want to walk past Edward on her way to the door, and so she decided to wait it out until he had sat down, or until he had left.

It was then that Sidney noticed her. His eyes flickered in the direction of Charlotte's table, and he looked a little surprised on seeing her. He also looked a little uncomfortable, and Charlotte couldn't help wondering if he'd been hoping _not_ to run into her at the coffee shop today.

Before Charlotte could think too much about this, she was distracted by the sound of Edward's voice…

"Where is she?" Edward demanded of no one in particular. His speech might have been a little slurred, but there was definitely a threatening hint to his tone.

Both Babington and Sidney seemed to visibly tense up on hearing Edward's voice. Sidney quickly looked away from Charlotte, and he and Babington then looked over in Edward's direction, both of them glaring at him.

Edward seemed to notice that the two men were looking at him, and he sneered at them. "Where is she, Babington?" he demanded.

"Leave, Edward," Sidney muttered, his voice low, sounding almost deadly. Somehow, the way he said it was more intimidating that it would have been if he had raised his voice.

Georgiana seemed to believe that Edward and Sidney had always shared some sort of long-standing friendship between the two of them, but it didn't seem that way to Charlotte now. There seemed to be nothing but hostility in the way that Sidney and Edward were looking at each other.

Perhaps sensing that some kind of drama was about to take place, a few of the other customers also started to throw curious glances in Edward's direction.

"This doesn't concern you, Parker," Edward responded to Sidney. His tone was almost dismissive, which only seemed to agitate Sidney more. "Not everything is about you."

"Leave," Sidney repeated, now looking like he was gripping the back of his seat.

"Where is she?" Edward repeated slowly, ignoring Sidney as he turned back to look at Babington. His tone was almost patronising as he asked him the question again.

It looked like Esther had been ignoring Edward lately, and he wasn't happy about it. Or perhaps he had heard about Esther's weekend in Bath with Babington.

"I'm afraid that's none of _your_ concern, Edward," said Babington, sounding like he was struggling to remain calm. "I'd advise that you leave, now."

Edward rolled his eyes at Babington's words, the gesture making him look even more unpleasant. "Do you _seriously_ think that she could ever love you?" Edward demanded of Babington, his tone of voice dripping with disdain. He then blinked a few times and his facial expression changed, almost as though he had decided to try a different tack to get to Babington. "Believe me, Babington," he said with a long-suffering sigh, as though he were a poor victim sharing some sort of tale of woe, "she will simply use you, take you for all she can get, and then she will leave you."

Charlotte looked nervously over in Babington's direction. She was sad to see the look of uncertainty on his face; the flicker of doubt in his eyes, almost as though he did not believe himself to be worthy of Esther's love, and he was actually wondering if there was some truth to what Edward was telling him.

"She has no real feelings for you," Edward continued, sounding like he was really warming up to his spiteful words now, "even though you might have deluded yourself that this is the case."

Charlotte didn't really realise that she was glaring at Edward on Babington's behalf until Edward's gaze moved away from Sidney and Babington and he looked right at her.

A very calculating look seemed to cross Edward's face on seeing her, and Charlotte didn't like that look at all.

Quickly, she looked away from Edward, pretending to be suddenly very interested in drinking her tea.

"Get. Out," Sidney said to Edward, sounding like he could no longer conceal the anger from his voice as he looked from Edward to Charlotte.

A smirk crossed Edward's face on noticing Sidney's reaction. "And where is Georgiana?" he asked, directing the question at Sidney.

It seemed that now he had accomplished everything he'd wanted to do with regards to Babington, namely succeeding in sowing a seed of doubt about Esther in his mind, he'd decided that it would be far more entertaining to taunt Sidney instead. Perhaps he'd sensed that Sidney was already feeling tense about personal matters in his life, and it would therefore be easier to get a rise out of him.

Charlotte suspected that Sidney's angry reaction was playing right into Edward's hands right now.

"Rumour has it that she hasn't been seen in London's social circle for _weeks_ ," Edward continued.

There was so much false concern in his voice that Charlotte almost wished she could throw something at him. If she felt angry however, it was nothing to how Sidney looked.

"Perhaps she's ashamed to show her face, now that she's back together with the failed politician who she tried to run away with last year? It was all very embarrassing for your family, wasn't it?"

"Enough, Edward," Sidney told him in a warning tone of voice, before Charlotte could even begin to think about what that story was all about.

For perhaps the first time, Charlotte could see just how protective Sidney was of Georgiana, in spite of all their arguments, and in spite of his disapproval of her relationship with Otis. He suddenly looked like an older brother who was prepared to defend a younger sibling, and his tone of voice and his body language suggested that he was prepared to fight Edward, if he insulted Georgiana any further.

Edward turned as though preparing to leave, but just before he could walk out the door, he turned back around.

He looked at Charlotte again. "I heard that _you_ looked very nice at the ball in Bath," he told Charlotte, his tone almost mocking as his eyes flickered in Sidney's direction, like he was checking that he definitely had his full attention. "It must have just _killed_ Sidney," he continued, in what sounded like a tone of mock sorrow, as he ignored Charlotte's glare, "to see you dancing at the ball with that Stringer boy, especially after _he'd_ asked you and you turned him down; oh dear, it must have been like history repeating itself, for Sidney…"

Charlotte barely knew how to react. She could only look at Edward in wide-eyed shock, hardly able to believe that he'd just said something like that.

In the back of her mind, Charlotte was sort of wondering if Edward had perhaps held a grudge or resentment against Sidney and his friends for years, and now that he believed Babington to have 'taken' Esther from him, he felt like he suddenly had the perfect excuse to give voice to all of his bitterness and anger in his drunken state.

As it turned out, there was not much time for Charlotte to react anyway, as it looked like Edward had gone too far with that comment. The sound of the chair scraping against the coffee shop floor was almost deafening as Sidney leapt to his feet.

"Enough!" Sidney shouted at Edward, his tone furious.

As Charlotte gasped in shock at the sudden noise, Babington also leapt to his feet and reached over to put his hand on Sidney's arm, as though trying to hold him back. He looked genuinely concerned that a fight really was about to break out in the middle of his coffee shop, which would surely be bad for business. Perhaps Edward and Sidney had fought before.

A few of the customers were also starting to look nervous and unsettled, while a few others already had their phones out, like they were getting ready to film an upcoming altercation and post it to social media.

Charlotte had thought that she'd seen Sidney angry before, at times when he'd lost his patience with her, and with Georgiana, and even with Crowe, but seeing him now, glaring at Edward with his fists clenched, she knew that she was seeing Sidney when he was truly angry.

He started to take rapid steps towards Edward…

"Don't!" Charlotte heard herself shouting out to him as she stood up from her own seat in a panic; she was afraid that Sidney really was about to fight with Edward.

She didn't know what she would do, if a fight really did break out, especially as a result of something that had been said about _her_.

Even Edward looked a little afraid, although he seemed to be making a great effort not to show his fear.

Sidney stopped and looked right at Charlotte for a few moments, and then he took several deep breaths, as though trying to calm himself down a little, before he turned to face Edward again.

"Leave _now_ , Edward," said Sidney, his voice low again. "I mean it."

Charlotte could tell from the way he said it that Sidney would make Edward leave, if he did not obey this command in the next couple of seconds. She also had a feeling that Sidney would not have held himself back from fighting, if she had not been here, asking him not to.

Edward seemed to have understood this underlying threat, too. He suddenly didn't look so confident about taking on Sidney in a physical fight. Edward seemed to be the type of person who only knew how to fight with words.

He held up his hands in an exaggerated gesture of surrender as he turned to leave. It was obvious that he was taking Sidney's words seriously now, and he was not brave enough to push things any further in this moment.

Yet there was a very self-satisfied smile on his face as he headed out the door. It seemed that he had achieved all that he had set out to do in coming here, although Charlotte doubted that this would be the end of it.

A very tense silence seemed to descend over Charlotte, Sidney and Babington the moment Edward left.

Although most of the customers were starting to return to their conversations, no doubt whispering and gossiping about everything that had just taken place, neither Sidney nor Babington spoke, and Charlotte was struggling to find the right words to say.

Sidney still looked very agitated, and Babington still looked worried about everything that Edward had just said. He also kept throwing concerned-looking glances in Sidney and Charlotte's direction.

Charlotte was still in a state of shock about Edward's rude comments, and Sidney's angry reaction, and she could barely even begin to process the words that Edward had said about her, especially his words about Sidney having feelings for her, and being jealous of James Stringer as a result.

_How would he even know about something like that?_ a voice in Charlotte's head asked her.

But now was not the time to think about that, especially when it looked like the last thing that Sidney wanted to talk about.

"Are you all right?" Sidney eventually asked Charlotte, with concern in his voice now.

"I'm fine," Charlotte replied automatically, hoping that she sounded calmer than she felt. Things were so strange between her and Sidney at the moment, but still Charlotte softened a little at the protective tone in Sidney's voice as he asked the question.

Sidney nodded, and Babington seemed to take this as a sign that everything was okay, because next minute, he was taking his phone out of his pocket, and then he walked over to another corner of the coffee shop as he put the phone to his ear. Charlotte was certain that he was calling Esther to tell her about everything that had just occurred, and perhaps to warn her that Edward was currently on the warpath.

The silence and the tension returned the moment Babington walked away.

All Charlotte wanted was to say something to end the awkward silence, to break the tension, to distract from everything that had just been said.

Suddenly, words were leaving her lips before she could even think about what she was saying…

" _Northanger Abbey_ ," she began, recalling a previous conversation with Sidney at this coffee shop, "was a parody of popular gothic novels at time that Jane Austen was writing…" She spoke as though she were on autopilot. "The work was of course deeply influenced by gothic novels-"

"What are you doing?" Sidney asked her with a frown, finally seeming to recollect himself.

Ignoring him, Charlotte simply continued as though there were nothing at all bizarre about talking about _Northanger Abbey_ immediately after the confrontation that had just taken place: "The Gothic elements of the novel are juxtaposed with the non-fictional narrative elements," she continued as she sat back down slowly in her seat.

Sidney continued to frown at her, but Charlotte could tell that he was beginning to work out that Charlotte was using some sort of distraction technique.

She remembered how Sidney had tried to engage her in a discussion about _Northanger Abbey_ , the last time they had been at the coffee shop, in particular the Gothic elements of the novel, but things had been so tense between them at the time after their argument at the park that Charlotte had shut down any sort of conversation about the novel, refusing to indulge him in any sort of literary discussion, or to share her thoughts about the novel with him.

She hoped that Sidney appreciated that she was willing to debate with him about the novel right now, even though she was perhaps only so willing because it would be a way of _not_ talking about other things.

Sidney seemed to watch Charlotte for a few more long moments before he spoke: "The Gothic elements are perhaps more apparent in the final volume of the novel, of course," he said almost hesitantly, as though he were trying out the words as he finally joined in with Charlotte's 'distraction technique'. "Where there is more of a focus on horror, and the supernatural…"

It seemed that he now understood exactly what Charlotte was trying to do, and he was prepared to play along.

"It has been said that the novel is a work of realist fiction," he added, as though recalling an old lecture about _Northanger Abbey_. "With a focus on how the protagonist interprets reality…"

Charlotte made a big show of looking serious as she nodded her head in agreement, and Sidney almost looked amused at her reaction.

She gestured at the seat opposite her, enjoying feeling in control of this particular situation and being the one to invite Sidney to sit across from her.

Taking the hint, Sidney moved closer to Charlotte's table, sitting down in the empty seat. There was almost a smile on his face now as he sat down, as though he could find some amusement in Charlotte actions, and, in spite of everything, Charlotte couldn't help smiling a little in return.

There were still so many words left unspoken between them, but it felt like some of the tension that had been there between them since Saturday night was starting to ease a little, if only temporarily.

Perhaps Sidney was also grateful for a distraction from everything that was going on in _his_ life.

Charlotte would not allow herself to start to analyse everything that Edward had said just yet, as she knew it would make her feel nervous and embarrassed while she was talking to Sidney. For his part, Sidney also seemed determined to ignore what Edward had said, and Charlotte wasn't sure how she felt about that.

They ended up talking about _Northanger Abbey_ for a little while, debating back and forth as they sat opposite each other at the same table, with Babington occasionally bringing drinks over to them after his phone call was over.

Babington still looked a little upset after his encounter with Edward, but whatever Esther had said to him, it seemed to have calmed him slightly. Sometimes, Charlotte caught him smiling at her and Sidney out of the corner of her eye as they bickered about the themes of _Northanger Abbey_.

They talked a little more about the Gothic elements of the novel, and then they moved on to talking about the novel's protagonist, Catherine Moreland, debating whether she would truly be considered 'an unlikely heroine' by modern standards.

It was so much easier to talk to Sidney like this, when they were talking about books and Jane Austen; when it was just the two of them and they were not surrounded by people who seemed to enjoy voicing their opinions about them.

It was easy to forget, if only for a short time, about everything else that was going on in their lives. Charlotte only wished that Sidney would talk as openly with her about his personal life and his past as he did about literature.

There was only a slight lull in the conversation when Charlotte paused to take a few sips of her new cup of tea.

"How are you liking _Persuasion_?" Sidney asked her, seemingly out of nowhere.

Charlotte paused in drinking her tea as her heartrate started to speed up a little.

How did Sidney know that she was currently reading _Persuasion_? She hadn't mentioned it to him at any point during their conversation, had she? Was this yet more evidence that _he_ was the one who was leaving the books in her locker?

She regarded Sidney with what she knew to be a curious expression on her face. However, nothing about _his_ facial expression seemed to be suggesting that he had just made some sort of big confession, or that he had just revealed some sort of secret. He looked almost relaxed now, as though only casually interested in something that was going on in Charlotte's life. Charlotte also realised that he was looking in the direction of her bag, which she had placed on the back of her seat. _Of course_ , she realised; her copy of _Persuasion_ was just about visible inside her bag.

Sidney raised an eyebrow at her, as though silently questioning why she was taking so long to reply.

Fighting down another strange feeling of disappointment, Charlotte tried to keep her tone of voice casual as she replied: "I like it just as much as I did when I read it the first time. Although," she admitted, "I've found on re-reading that I feel slightly less sympathetic towards Anne Elliot's character than I felt before."

"Really?" Sidney asked her, looking a little surprised that Charlotte felt this way. Although he also looked curious as to why this might be the case.

Charlotte nodded. "I wonder if she perhaps allowed herself to be too easily persuaded to give up on her true love when she was younger. Perhaps she should have been a little bit braver, and a little more honest. Perhaps she should have fought harder for what she wanted."

"She was young, and a little naïve," said Sidney. "Not to mention that the prospect of financial security, or indeed financial insecurity, in this case, would have played a major part in her decision; it was a fear that her family members would no doubt have played on. Perhaps Anne Elliot can be forgiven for being a little too trusting of those around her, especially during her younger years?"

There was no hint of irritation in Sidney's voice as he offered this counterargument. He did not pose the question in a patronising way. In fact, his tone was almost gentle. Charlotte knew that he was not criticising her views, but he was simply trying to play devil's advocate this time, and offer another perspective on the character.

"Perhaps," Charlotte conceded. "Although, I don't blame Captain Wentworth for being a little cold and unforgiving towards Anne Elliot, when they were first reunited."

Again, Sidney raised his eyebrow at her, looking like he was torn between surprise and amusement.

Charlotte supposed it was a little strange, that their roles seemed to have reversed a little, in this particular literary discussion.

Usually, Sidney was the one who was less sympathetic, and more judgemental, when it came to the characters and the storylines in Jane Austen's novels, while Charlotte generally tried to be more optimistic.

She wondered if she was perhaps putting a few of her own negative feelings and frustrations in the present into her opinions on the latest book that she was reading, especially as she not yet had the opportunity to voice her thoughts about recent events.

She then started to wonder if Sidney was doing exactly the same thing, especially when an intense expression crossed his face as he posed another question to Charlotte: "Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance at love?"


End file.
